Monday’s Powerball jackpot leaps over half a billion dollars

The Powerball jackpot just hit a major milestone as it crossed the half-a-billion mark and now stands at $501 million for Monday’s drawing.

A winner tonight could claim the jackpot as a $501 million annuity or $229.5 million in cash.

While players keep trying for the jackpot, one lucky ticket in North Carolina matched four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000 in Saturday’s drawing. The ticket came from the Food Lion on Plaza Road Extension in Charlotte.

Check out how North Carolinians win when they play Powerball:

• 25,713: That’s the total number of winning tickets in Saturday’s Powerball drawing
• $9.3 million: That’s the estimate of how much money has been raised for education during the current Powerball run

Players can buy Powerball tickets at any lottery retail location or through Online Play on the lottery’s website, www.nclottery.com. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.