Texas

Record $1.5 Billion Powerball Draws at Least 3 Winning Tickets

The numbers drawn for Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot, set at almost $1.6 billion, were 8, 27, 34, 4, 19 and Powerball: 10.

The verified Twitter account for the California Lottery soon said that a winning ticket was sold in Chino Hills, in Southern California, east of Los Angeles. A California lottery official said winning Powerball tickets were also sold in Tennessee and Florida.

The California Lottery also said that 12 tickets sold in California had matched five of the six numbers: Nipton, Chula Vista, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, Tustin, Pacoima, Vacaville, Cloverdale, Redlands, Gardena and Irwindale, according to the Twitter account.

Lottery officials said 85.8 percent of possible number combinations had been selected by midday, increasing the chances that someone would win the world's largest lottery jackpot. 

If someone matches all the winning numbers, the jackpot would be paid in annual payments over 29 years, or the winner could opt for a lump-sum payment of $930 million. Winners have to pay 39.6 percent of the prize in federal income taxes, in addition to any state taxes.

Estimated jackpot amounts, which are released daily, have been steadily rising since Nov. 4, when the jackpot was reset at $40 million.

Powerball tickets are sold in 44 states, as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

But residents in the six states that don't participate are finding ways to get their hands on tickets. Some of the biggest Powerball sales have come from cities bordering states that don't sell the tickets, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. The association oversees the Powerball Lottery, but management rotates annually among member states.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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