Not pulling your leg!
While Monday marked April Fools Day, the Powerball lottery was no joke with a potential $1.03billion prize on the line.
When the nighttime drawing concluded, the winning numbers were: 19, 24, 40, 42, 56 and 23.
But, no players had the last laugh as no winning jackpot tickets were sold. That means Wednesday’s drawing is now an estimated $1.09 billion giving others a chance to become the world’s newest billionaire.
Even though nobody walked away with the top prize, seven people are now millionaires thanks to Monday’s drawing.
The magic numbers of the April 1 Powerball lottery were: 19, 24, 40, 42, 56 and 23
With nobody winning Monday’s $1.03billion prize, the jackpot is set to jump to an estimated $1.09billion for Wednesday’s pull
Tickets worth $1million were sold in Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, Virginia and two in Maryland. The millionaire tickets included getting five numbers right but missing out on the Powerball number.
The chances of winning the grand prize are 1 in 290,201,338, while the chances of walking away with the $1million prize is 1 in 11,688,053.52.
If anyone would have won on Monday they would have had a lump sum option of $496.4million. Now, Wednesday’s winner is estimated to have a lump sum option of $527.3million.
Any lump sum figure is before state and federal taxes.
Powerball winners are trying to become the newest lotto billionaire, joining other recent winners including a lucky player in New Jersey who won the $1.12 billion Mega Millions jackpot last week.
The lucky winner, from Bayonne, broke a winless streak that created a rollover of the top prize since December 8.
The winning numbers in that drawing were: 7, 11, 22, 29, 38 and 4.
The charmed punter, who has not yet been named, beat the odds of 1 in 302.6 million to claim the top prize.
The recipient can claim the 8th largest lottery prize in US history for the full $1.12 billion by annuity, spread over 30 years or take a lump cash payment of $537.5 million.
Last Tuesday, a lottery player struck the $1.12 billion Mega Millions jackpot in Bayonne, New Jersey
A new study by Lottery Geeks found the First State has the highest proportion of Powerball winners of any US state
The winner may be able to shirk the limelight of their newfound wealth as New Jersey is one of 16 states where lottery winners are allowed to stay anonymous.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states plus Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands.
However, a new study found that Delaware has the highest proportion of lottery winners of any US state.
Lottery Geeks analyzed the number of Powerball and Mega Millions winners in every state across the US and compared it with their overall population. The study did not assess whether those states happened to have a higher number of lottery players as that data is not available.
Delaware has been home to 10 Powerball winners out of a population of 989,948. It means the state counts 10.10 winners per every 1 million residents.