The Powerball Hits $900 Million, Approaches Unicorn Status Ahead of Saturday’s

The Powerball jackpot for Saturday’s drawing is more than $900 million, a $100 million increase in less than 24 hours, as the record largest lottery payout in USA history continues to grow. They are: 16, 19, 32, 34, 57, and Powerball 13.

After no one won Wednesday’s 500-million-plus Powerball prize it just kept growing and Powerball ticket sales have been booming. On Thursday, brisk ticket sales pushed it to a $700 million annuity value or a $428.4 million cash prize.

So many people were buying Powerball tickets in Iowa that lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer said some stores were running out of paper for tickets, leaving lottery workers scrambling to resupply the outlets.

To win the jackpot, a ticket holder has to match all the numbers on the six balls selected. It may cross the $1 billion threshold on Saturday, he said. The first five can be in any order, but the sixth must be the Powerball number.

Dony Elias, 26, an attendant at Stardust Liquor in Los Angeles, said 300 customers picked up tickets for Powerball last night at his store.

The previous jackpot record of $656 million, in March 30, 2012, was scooped up by three winners from North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Texas.

Excitement swirled among ticket buyers despite what some statisticians call mind-boggling odds for the Powerball game – one in 292 million.

The next drawing happens this Saturday and people in Bakersfield hope to cash in.

Sonja Peterson of Minneapolis said she never buys Powerball tickets, but on Saturday, she bought two with random numbers at Bobby & Steve’s Auto World gas station – one for her, one for her boyfriend.

Officials say that if no one wins on Saturday, the next jackpot will be $1.3 billion.