At $325 million, Powerball jackpot reaches record size

February 10, 2012 Posted by NC Lottery at 2:42 PM

A Powerball ticket always has a chance to win a big prize. But North Carolina Powerball players have never had a chance to play for a jackpot this big.

The official jackpot estimate has been raised to $325 million, making it the largest since the game started here in May 2006. Since then, three lucky North Carolinians have won Powerball jackpots ranging from $74.5 million to $141.4 million.

The largest Powerball jackpot ever awarded was the $365 million won by a group of players in Nebraska in February 2006. Only three other Powerball jackpots of more than $300 million have ever been hit, only one of which North Carolina players had the chance to win. That jackpot, $314.3 million, was won by a ‘perfect ticket’ sold in Indiana in August 2007.

One ticket sold in North Carolina for each of the last two drawings has won $1 million, first in Jacksonville on Saturday and then in Durham on Wednesday. This Saturday, will we have another $1 million winner, or perhaps North Carolina's fourth Powerball jackpot winner? We'll be watching with you to find out.

33 COMMENTS

2/18/2012 09:39 - NC Lottery

@ DEEP1 - If a person wins on a lottery ticket five times in a row, is he or she more or less likely to win on the sixth ticket? The answer is that it makes no difference what happened on the previous five tickets. Playing a new ticket is an isolated incident and takes luck to win on, regardless of what happened before. If you think its fixed and don't trust our responses, why do you ask us questions?

2/18/2012 08:08 - Thane G.

Location, location, location! where are all the winners. If you where to put a pin on a state map for ever winner. I doubt it would be in WNC. Congrats to all the winners.

2/17/2012 04:51 - Michael R.

You guys should google the Miracle Mile(Fon du Lac,Wisconsin). This same street sold a 209 million dollar power ball ticket, 100 million dollar Power Ball ticket, numerous other Power ball winners ranging from a million and more. There are what, 1 million streets across the country, yet this same street wins over and over? Fixed. lol

2/14/2012 11:19 - NC Lottery

@ DEEP1 - What you're describing isn't "impossible," it's "improbable." The chances of anybody winning the Powerball jackpot are very, very small. If you want better odds, our jackpot game Carolina Cash 5 gives you a better chance of winning the jackpot, and it always goes to a North Carolina player!

2/14/2012 09:30 - Michael R.

Lucke-Zone, if only we were in a perfect world. Imagine there were 100,000 envelopes with the winning power ball in it. The rest of the country gets 99,800 envelopes to choose from and Rhode Island gets 200 chances to pick the right one. The odds are 1 in 100,000, but the probability of Rhode Island picking it is almost impossible. At one point the same city in Wisconsin won like 7 jackpots, Impossible.

2/13/2012 09:24 - NC Lottery

@ DEEP1 - The odds of any one number combination in the Powerball game matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are one in 175 million, regardless of where the ticket was sold or the player lives. Imagine there was a state that only had one person in it. If that one person had a Powerball ticket, they'd have just as good a chance of winning as someone who lives in New York City with 11 million other people. The fact that everyone has a chance to win is what makes the game what it is! We're glad we've had five multimillion jackpot winners here in N.C. for Powerball and Mega Millions.

2/13/2012 08:40 - Michael R.

Same odds but the probability is almost impossible. I can say for almost certainty that 99.9% of tickets played were not from Rhode Island. It's like finding a needle in a haystack among the myriad of set of numbers played. The winners always seem to come from the New York area. It's bogus!!

2/13/2012 05:11 - NC Lottery

@ LUCKLESS - Our automated telephone system had the wrong prize amounts for a short time, but it's been fixed since you heard that info.

2/13/2012 05:10 - NC Lottery

@ KD - That's just not the way a jackpot game like Powerball works. Powerball is a game that has very long odds for a chance to win a very big jackpot. We offer other types of games, at different prices, with different prizes and odds of winning. Check out our website for more info on them.

2/13/2012 05:08 - NC Lottery

@ DEEP1 - A player in Rhode Island has the same chance of winning as player in any other state. We're glad we've had five jackpot winners in Powerball and Mega Millions here in N.C.

2/13/2012 09:15 - Michael R.

LOL @ Rhode Island winning the Power Ball. One of the states that played the least amount of combinations, whereas the remaining combinations come from the combined states that played 99% of the combinations. It is so fixed that it is obvious.

2/12/2012 02:47 - Roger K.

no group wins,no cash5 wins...83.00 dollars total for education...at least we all helping out education..congrats to all the winners last night....need help spending it,let me know..

2/12/2012 11:54 - elaine b.

Im hoping to win havent checked my numbers yet

2/12/2012 11:40 - Jeffrey H.

well 2 people had a good saturday 1st somebody won the powerball and then somebody else won the cash 5 .

2/12/2012 10:56 - Barbara K.

Have there ever been any winners in Mt Airy,Lansing,Elk Park,Bakersville North Carolina?I am sick of winners being in the same areas.We all invest our money just to see the same ole areas have the winners.I am sorry I am beginning to believe this has nothing to do with luck.I think the employees that work for the lottery should have to change like any elected officials and this would include the auditors.

2/12/2012 10:53 - ken d.

You know, something has to change. No one individual should wake away with 300 million dollars. A jackpot that large should at least be split with 10 - 20 players across the country. Hell, for that matter, there should be a guaranteed winner of one million dollars in each state where the Powerball is played no matter how large the lotter is. Am I asking too much ??

2/12/2012 09:07 - Dolly H.

I Hope that the winner really needs the money, and does somthing productive with it. "Hey that sounds like me". lol

2/12/2012 08:16 - karen s.

where do I go to find what the winning numbers were?

2/12/2012 12:22 - jerry s.

This is not about powerball, but how can a 561,000 cash 5 game with 2 winners only be 141,742 apiece?? My figures say 280,500 each. What`s up with this???

2/11/2012 11:19 - Cassandra C.

it will be me this time in the name of Jesus

2/11/2012 10:58 - Thach V.

Yes, it is time...My husband and I are going to win the powerball tonight! And it will be a blessing for education and the state of NC...and of course, our family...We are planning to have a baby soon...

2/11/2012 08:51 - wendell j.

This is what dreams are made of and what helps other dreams come true. Good luck residents of N.C.

2/11/2012 08:14 - Michel G.

So anyone know where to see the numbers live on TV? what time do they release it?

2/11/2012 06:21 - barbara q.

i have already dreamed i won it thank you god

2/11/2012 01:29 - VALERIE H.

My co-worker and I have a lottery pool, and we just can't wait for lady luck to make the powerball jackpot rain down on us. Tonight's the night! Wheew Hooooo!

2/11/2012 12:14 - Nolan B.

Im gettin these M's for the city! QC QC QC

2/11/2012 10:31 - joanie m.

I live in nc,i have been playing lottery four about 30 years in sc and virgina, i started playing when i got married instead of going to local bars that always would end up in fights we decided to go play lottery in different states we did not have lottery then in nc so every weekend we would drive to sc or virgina never have won big but we ate well and had a good time glad we got the lottery in nc it would be a blessing to win and our state could use the funds, nc school system needs a blessing also

2/11/2012 08:54 - Godner B.

*Good Money* I am feeling what Lottoking and Drminipark is feeling. It's time to bring the PB winnings to NC. Whoever brings this home (I have a feeling that someone is going to hit tonight) may god bless them. Of course I have played and I have hopes on hitting. But this is the trill that comes with the game. Everyone that purchased a ticket, has expectations on winning. "You have to be in it to win it". So, let us all have fun playing. At the end of the day, this is what it's about. Fun and chance. *Good Luck & Many Blessings*

2/11/2012 07:44 - Roger K.

looking foward for the powerball drawing tonight,I hope my group will win tonight. But if it's won,it will be the biggest state that will win with the most population,like NEW YORK...or Pennsylvania...maybe FL. But if it comes home to nc,to my group tonight,What a joyous day that will be..

2/10/2012 11:41 - Mary S.

im gonna win the jackpot in the name of jesus. Amen!

2/10/2012 08:19 - Willie B.

Looking forward to winning the jackpot this time. I feel that it is time that somebody in North Carolina win this large jackpot and bring it home and give the state some new found revenue. It will be a great blessing for the school system and economic system of our GREAT STATE...

2/10/2012 05:53 - c l m.

was the durham powerball a quick pick i wonder

2/10/2012 02:56 - Antoine B.

I am bringing this jackpot home for North Carolina ! $$$$

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At $325 million, Powerball jackpot reaches record size

February 10, 2012 Posted by NC Lottery at 2:42 PM

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