Powerball jackpot climbs to $1 billion ahead of Wednesday drawing
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
MISSOURI (KBSI) – The Powerball jackpot has reached an estimated $1 billion for Wednesday night’s drawing after ticket sales exceeded expectations.
Game leaders increased the jackpot estimate from $975 million after reviewing final ticket sales from Monday night’s drawing. The jackpot has an estimated cash value of $433.1 million.
The $1 billion prize is the eighth-largest jackpot in Powerball history and the largest U.S. lottery jackpot offered so far in 2026.
“The growth of this jackpot reflects an extraordinary level of player interest,” Powerball Product Group Chair Stephen Durrell said.
According to Powerball, ticket sales for Monday’s drawing were more than 86% higher than the previous Monday drawing.
The largest Powerball jackpot remains the $2.04 billion prize won in California in November 2022. A $1.817 billion jackpot won in Arkansas in December 2025 ranks second, followed by the $1.787 billion jackpot won by tickets in Missouri and Texas in September 2025.
Wednesday’s drawing will be held at 9:59 p.m. Central time.
Powerball tickets cost $2 per play. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, while the overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.9.
