Powerball Jackpot Reaches Nearly Half a Billion Dollars

The multi-state Powerball lottery jackpot has reached nearly $500 million ahead of Wednesday night’s drawing.

That’s a cash option of $337.8 million after taxes, reports a local ABC affiliate, a nearly record-breaking jackpot. The current Powerball jackpot is the third largest ever and the fifth largest out of all lottery games across the country. It will be drawn at 10.59pm eastern time Wednesday, with tickets on sale until 10pm.

No jackpot winner was selected in Saturday’s drawing, lottery officials say, which was worth $380 million. The Powerball numbers drawn Saturday night were 34-58-5-21-10 with the Powerball number 33.

One Long Island, New York resident missed out on the prize after missing just the Powerball number. “Unbelievable, that’s really unbelievable. I thought it would be me but no it wasn’t. It was not at all,” said Coram resident Ben Pietri.

The last major Powerball jackpot was in February 2014, when it was $425 million.

[ABC]