Iowa
Two Iowa tickets miss $1.2B Powerball jackpot by just one number
Nobody hit the estimated $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot in the Dec. 20 drawing — but the prize isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s climbing to an eye-popping $1.6 billion for Monday’s drawing, making it the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history and fifth-largest among U.S. lottery jackpots. The cash option? $735.3 million.
Two Iowa players came close to the big win. One ticket, sold at Kwik Star in Vinton, matched all five white balls and missed only the Powerball — good for a $1 million prize. It was one of eight tickets nationwide to hit that mark.
“A jackpot of this size naturally captures attention nationwide, but a $1 million win right here in Iowa shows there are plenty of chances to win along the way,” Iowa Lottery CEO Matt Strawn said in a news release.
Another ticket, sold at Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in Johnston, matched four white balls plus the Powerball and added Power Play, turning a $50,000 prize into $150,000.
In all, Iowa players won 41,288 prizes Saturday, from $4 to $1 million.
Want in on Monday’s drawing? The ticket deadline is 8:59 p.m. Odds of hitting the jackpot remain 1 in 292.2 million — but someone will eventually get lucky.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at the Des Moines Register.