Powerball jackpot reaches $100 million

January 19, 2012 Posted by NC Lottery at 2:48 PM

As promised since last June, the new Powerball game is here and the first drawing was held Wednesday night. Players saw the jackpot jump from $81.4 million to an estimated $100 million for Saturday’s drawing. Under the new game structure the Powerball jackpot will rise by at least $10 million for the next drawing.

And, just one drawing into the new era, we already have our first big-winning Power Play ticket here in North Carolina: the $40,000-winning ticket was sold at the Kangaroo Express on East New Hope Road in Goldsboro. With the multiplier feature gone in exchange for set Power Play prize amounts, you can take a look at how that works on the Powerball page on our website. In all, Powerball players in our state won $163,584 in prizes in Wednesday’s drawing.

Along with all of you, we look forward to finding out the results of the next drawing. With every draw, there’s always the chance we’ll have our next jackpot winner! Whether you enjoy the new Powerball game or prefer to play jackpot games like Mega Millions and Cash 5 the same way you always have, we wish you the best of luck.

33 COMMENTS

1/30/2012 10:25 - NC Lottery

@ BKEARNEY - Where did you hear that most people who win are retired and don't need the money? We meet all different kinds of people, from different backgrounds, geographies and financial situations who win the lottery. Who wins the lottery is something we don't and shouldn't have any control over.. it results from random luck. We are here to talk with players about lottery games and related topics, and we're glad to read and respond to your questions. But if you don't trust our responses then why do you ask us?

1/29/2012 12:52 - Barbara K.

Ok,I'tt bite,If it is all luck why are most of the big winners someone that is retired and do not need the money as they have everything in life that they need?They may have everything they need but I bet they did not say just let me give back this win for education.I just want to see a winner from an area that has never had a winner and a person that actually needs it,not someone that is going on vacation or play golf all day.I don't trust anyone.................

1/27/2012 01:56 - NC Lottery

@ BKEARNEY - Games of chance work the same way here as they do everywhere else: there are a lot more non-winning tickets than winning tickets. This makes it possible to pay out prizes, big and small, on the winning tickets. We also have a responsibility to raise money for education. So if you add all that up, everyone's got the same chance to win, but it takes a lot of luck to win big.

1/27/2012 11:26 - Barbara K.

Ok,Keep in mind that this is "State" lottery and they are the one's that are going to win.I heard a speech a couple years back and a remark was made"It would take a sorry politian to not be able to make the polls come out in his favor.It is a terrible feeling to try so hard and still come up at the bottom of the stack.Most of the Wake County winners are on the Cary side,very few on the northern part of Wake.I do not agree with you either as Cherryville had 3 huge Cash 5 winners in one year?I don't know anyone that has ever wone ANYTHING on the lottery

1/27/2012 09:39 - NC Lottery

PLAYER - Where did you get the number 50% from? Even though Guilford, Mecklenburg and Wake had about 25% of the entire state population according to the 2009 census, about 19% of all prize dollars were paid to winners from those counties from 3/30/06-6/30/11. Of course, the number of retailers and people who play in a county is not exactly proportional to the population size. But again, the odds of winning are the same wherever you live or play. Places with bigger populations and more winners also have their share of non-winning tickets too.

1/26/2012 06:00 - bruce s.

right lucke-zone i guess that's why 50% of winners are from that area wake,mecklenburg,guilford thanks for the info.all counties should have equal winners spread the wealth.

1/25/2012 10:46 - jerry h.

coder how could you disagree if you hit the numbers then you hit the numbers come on it dont matter wher you buy the ticket its all LUCK

1/25/2012 09:36 - sandra j.

ROSCO164 LUCKE-ZONE said chances to win in a small city are same as in a big city like Charlotte. I disagreed with their comment.

1/25/2012 09:57 - NC Lottery

@ ROSCO164 - First piece of info: once the lottery does its job of raising and transferring education funds to the state, it is the responsibility of the state legislature to decide the division of those funds to specific programs and the formula for distribution to the counties. Keep in mind, though, that some counties in the state have a very small fraction of the schools and population of others. About 25 percent of all North Carolinians live in Wake, Mecklenburg and Guilford Counties.

1/25/2012 08:18 - Tommy L.

Coder not so sure I belive you about the chances to win being the same. I play because I enjoy not because someone makes me so thats the chance I take. I would add if it's the same for each town then the money that go's to schools should be equal spit for each county.

1/25/2012 08:11 - Reneta M.

I play alot of quick picks and the majority of them never come out till months later. I have only won a few times with quick picks. I also live in Thomasville and purchase alot of bad scratch offs. Well the bigger the city the more of the wins and Charolette gets their share just like the same cities that have several big winners. Yeah your right its gonna have to take a whole lot of luck.

1/24/2012 06:45 - sandra j.

Thanks for the response but I disagree.

1/24/2012 08:58 - NC Lottery

@ CODER - We just have a lot of comments to respond to, so please try to be patient in terms of responses. The chances of winning on a lottery ticket sold in Thomasville are the same as on a lottery ticket sold in a big city like Charlotte. It's all just a matter of luck.

1/24/2012 08:56 - NC Lottery

@ GRANNYMALLARD - We respect your opinion and understand that not everyone likes the new Powerball features.

1/24/2012 06:11 - sandra j.

I agree with luckless and Vern and all the other complaints. My complaint is the same locations, cities, etc., always winning and I still can't get any answer as to why no one ever wins in Thomasville. Plenty of players but no winners. Guess if you ignore some one long enough they will go away, right LUCKE-ZONE!!

1/24/2012 02:52 - Caroline M.

I don't care for the new Powerball. You say if I prefer to play with the megaplier feature I have to play Mega Millions, well, I do play Mega Millions, but I still liked the old way of playing Powerball. Don't ask for my opinion if you don't want to hear it.

1/23/2012 11:48 - NC Lottery

@ LUCKLESS - We understand that you're not alone in preferring a game that is structured like Mega Millions with the Megaplier feature. Powerball is a good option for those who prefer to play games of chance for the jackpot and other top level prizes.

1/22/2012 01:05 - jerry h.

yea like they told me last week you dont like it then dont play it a lot of crap the only thang that changed is hitting five white balls or four and the power ball every other way you hit they dont have to pay out as much if the multiplier was four or five and it must have been 4 or 5 a lot for someone to come up with this crap like the last draw with multiplier was 5 if you hit 4 wite balls and power played you won $500.00 now you win $200.00 same as 3white and power ball $200.00 not $500.00 and it goes all the way down like that but they told me its better because they could have changed like 26 or 29 peoples lives in n.c. if thay had been playing like this last year WOW wonder how many millions they would have not payed out last year playing like this can i hear them numbers dont forget about the little winners now ther even smaller pay outs but this is better odds yea right and yea i know i dont have to play and i may not but i do thank you for letting me vent

1/22/2012 10:39 - jerry s.

Sure, "some of the key prizes in the game are much bigger", but only the ones with tremendous odds against the player. Removing the multiplier simply saves the state lotteries millions in the lower-tier prizes, which have the majority of winners.

1/22/2012 09:48 - sandra j.

Still no winners in Thomasville and never any answer from LUE-ZONE as to why. Will start buying tickets in one of the bigger cities since that is where all the wins are.

1/21/2012 05:33 - yvonne t.

I'm still dreaming about winning, only to wake up and find out my numbers were not drawn.

1/21/2012 09:40 - NC Lottery

@ HIPPY - Yes, the multiplier is gone, but some of the key prizes in the game are much bigger. We know that not everyone likes the new features, so if Mega Millions or Cash 5 are more your style, we hope those games are good options for you.

1/21/2012 08:47 - Richard R.

I don't like it. The price of a ticket goes up to $3 for a power play but the multiplier is taken away.

1/20/2012 09:21 - NC Lottery

@ JOHNRYN55 - The five white ball matches jump from $200,000 to $1 million and $1 million to $2 million in the new game. Some players like to play for the jackpot prizes. But, if you like a $1 or $2 jackpot game, Mega Millions and Cash 5 are still the same.

1/20/2012 03:59 - MR. Kenneth R.

i drean that i won finely won power ball mmmmmm still look for that day lol

1/20/2012 01:04 - Johann R.

This change is only good if you hit the jackpot, look what happened to for example 4 numbers winners, max.$200.00, it used to be up to $750.00 RIDICULOUS!!!

1/20/2012 09:59 - NC Lottery

@ MUSICGIRL - Yes, If you have a Power Play ticket, the set prize for matching the Powerball is $12. There is no more multiplier in the new Powerball game.

1/20/2012 09:52 - NC Lottery

@ 1ROCK2KING - From now on, if you win a prize on a Power Play ticket, that prize amount is always the same at every level. It doesn't work like Cash 5... Cash 5 prize amounts depend on how many tickets were sold and how many tickets match different combinations.

1/20/2012 09:25 - Roger K.

hello just read what i had posted in another post. With the multiplier feature gone in exchange for set Power Play prize amounts, you can take a look at how that works on the powerball page web site.is it like the pari-mutuel thing on cash5?

1/20/2012 09:11 - Roger K.

@luck-E-zone:With the multiplier feature gone in exchange for set Power Play prize amounts. How is this figure now,no powerplay numbers anymore? I checked the powerball page did'nt see how it was figure in,I won 14.00 dollars with powerplay,so I thought the multiplier 2...just asking.

1/19/2012 11:07 - Tena S.

I'm a little confused about how the multiplier works with the new Powerball. If you have 1 number plus the Powerball do you always win $12, regardless of the multiplier?

1/19/2012 10:48 - Ursula W.

Am i next? lol

1/19/2012 10:00 - Hilda H.

I like this new powerball....just want to win

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Powerball jackpot reaches $100 million

January 19, 2012 Posted by NC Lottery at 2:48 PM

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