Powerball Poised To Break Through $1 Billion Barrier
The first $1 billion jackpot of 2026 could be put up for grabs this week after Powerball rolled again on Monday night, setting up the chance to win an estimated $975 million next time.
It has been more than three months since the Powerball jackpot was won, dating back to the draw on May 2 when ticket holders from Florida and Texas split $20 million. Since then it has built steadily, crossing $500 million in mid-July before starting to accelerate.
A top prize of $929.1 million was offered in the latest draw on Monday, but nobody matched all the winning numbers - white balls 6, 37, 54, 55 and 64, plus the red Powerball 10. The biggest winner of the evening was a player from Tennessee who matched all five main numbers without the Powerball, and added the Power Play option to double their payout to $2 million. In total there were more than 1.9 million winners across all the participating locations.
The next jackpot has provisionally been advertised as $975 million, with a cash value of $422.3 million, although both figures could be re-estimated if there is a rush on ticket sales before Wednesday’s draw.
It is comfortably the largest Powerball jackpot of the year, and even surpasses the $800 million Mega Millions jackpot won in Florida last month which currently ranks as the biggest lottery payout in the world for 2026.
The last time that Powerball hit 10 figures was just before Christmas last year, when an anonymous ticket holder from Arkansas ended up winning $1.816 billion on December 24. There have been seven instances in history when Powerball has topped $1 billion.
If the current jackpot goes on to break the all-time record, it still needs to more than double in size to eclipse the $2.04 billion that was paid out to California’s Edwin Castro in November 2022.
It certainly would not take another three months to reach that level, though, as the rate of ticket sales increases as the jackpot climbs higher. Powerball officials have also reminded fans of the game that playing helps to support local communities, even if you don’t become a winner.
“This is the most exciting jackpot run we’ve seen all year, but it’s also important to remember that every $2 Powerball ticket purchased helps support public programs and services,” said Stephen Durrell, Powerball Product Group Chair and Kansas Lottery Executive Director. “Because a portion of each ticket sold stays where it was purchased, the benefits of Powerball are felt in communities across the country and around the world.”
Powerball draws take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday night. Make sure to pick up a ticket, or order one online if the option is available in your state, then check the winning numbers as soon as they are available.
