Powerball winning numbers announced for $348 million jackpot
The winning Powerball numbers for Wednesday night's drawing were 6, 13, 19, 36 and 51, with the Powerball number of 18. The jackpot was $348 million.
There was a one-time cash option of $207 million.
There was no winner, lottery officials said, so the next drawing will be Saturday with a jackpot currently estimated at $385 million.
Tickets cost $2. Sales time cut-offs vary by state but are usually one to two hours before the drawing.
There was no winner in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing, putting Friday's jackpot total at an estimated $290 million.
Even with more options for giant payouts, the odds of winning a jackpot remain abysmal at 1 in 258.9 million for Mega Millions and 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball.
The odds of winning both jackpots are 1 in 75 quadrillion -- that's 15 zeros -- according to data scientists at Allstate.
The average American spends about $200 a year on lottery tickets, though residents of some states spend far more. According to a study by LendEDU, the average Massachusetts resident spends $735 annually on lottery tickets. Rhode Islanders plop down $514 a year. And if you live in Delaware or New York, you're likely spending about $400 a year, or $33 per month.
The odds of winning "scratchers" -- those little instant winning tickets that you can buy for prices ranging from $1 to $50 -- are better, but it's still no way to get rich.