ALBUQUERQUE – Thanks to strong sales nationwide, the Powerball® jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing has jumped to $450 million.
Earlier today, the jackpot was at $400 million.
New Mexico Lottery CEO David Barden said Powerball sales in New Mexico have seen a significant increase in the last week. “People are excited about the big jackpot and in a mood to dream. While this is the sixth-largest jackpot of any lottery game in US history, remember to please play responsibly,” Barden said.
Players in New Mexico have until 8 p.m. MT Wednesday to buy a ticket for the drawing, which takes place at approximately 8:59 p.m.
Powerball Fun Facts
If Wednesday’s jackpot lands in New Mexico, it will break the record $206.9 million jackpot won by a pool of nine Powerball players from the Roswell area in September 2008.
In the past seven years in New Mexico, 19 Powerball tickets have paid prizes of $1 million and $2 million. The state’s most recent Powerball millionaire is Leo Castillo of Crownpoint. He claimed a $1 million Powerball prize on October 30, 2015.
The record Powerball jackpot is $590.5 million. It was won in May 2013 by a player in Florida.
How to Play Powerball
Powerball is played in 47 lotteries. The game was last updated in October 2015 with changes aimed at delivering big jackpots while increasing other significant prizes in the game. To play, players choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. Players can also ask for a “quick pick,” a set of numbers chosen randomly by the lottery’s gaming system. Each wager costs $2.
In addition to the jackpot, there are eight prize levels from $4 to $1 million. The game’s Power Play® option multiples non-jackpot prizes and will double the $1 million prize to $2 million automatically. Power Play costs an additional $1 per play per drawing.
The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292 million. The overall odds of winning a Powerball prize are approximately 1 in 25.
Legislative Lottery Scholarships
The New Mexico Lottery has raised $670.5 million for education in New Mexico. More than 100,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships. More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.