A $45 million jackpot was available in Wednesday's Powerball lottery, with a cash-value option of $30.1 million.
In terms of the lucky numbers, the regular white balls were drawn as 06, 17, 21, 35, 64, while the red Powerball was 18. A 2X multiplier was in effect, meaning that winners had a chance to potentially double their winnings here.
Did Anyone Win the Powerball Jackpot?
If you head over to the official Powerball website, there is a section called "Total Winners." By clicking here, you will be taken to a database that contains the results for previous lotteries.
The information for every draw is presented in its own dedicated table, breaking down how many people won each prize and if any of them opted to use the Power Play multiplier bonus.
When it comes to February 23, nobody managed to correctly guess all five white balls and the red Powerball in a single ticket. This means that the $45 million jackpot went unclaimed and so that prize money will now roll over into the next draw on Sunday, February 27.
Powerball 02/23/2022 Results
In terms of the non-jackpot prizes, not a single player matched all five white balls either. If they had, they would have been eligible to claim $1 million (or $2 million with the multiplier).
Five people managed to guess four of the white balls and the red Powerball (which is worth $50,000). These players were spread out across the states of California, Massachusetts, Michigan and Wisconsin. One of them elected to use the Power Play multiplier as well, and so doubled their earnings to $100,000.
158 lottery entrants matched four white balls on their own, netting them $100 each. 62 people from this group used the Power Play option.
Another 422 players won $100 each by getting three white balls and the red Powerball. 152 of them used the Power Play option.
As for the lower-tier prizes, a total of 20,114 people claimed a $7 prize on February 23, by either getting three white balls or a combination of two white balls and the red Powerball.
Finally, 225,893 players got a $4 prize by matching the red Powerball (either on its own or with a single white ball.
How to Play the Powerball Lottery
Powerball lottery tickets cost $2 and can be purchased in 45 states, as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
If you decide to purchase a ticket, then you will need to pick six lucky numbers. Five of these will be for the regular white balls (and can be anything between one and 69), while the other will be for the red Powerball (between one and 26).
In addition to choosing your numbers, you also have the option of paying an extra $1 for the Power Play multiplier. With this bonus, you can increase your winnings by a factor of two, three, four, five or even 10 (the effect of this multiplier is randomly decided before each draw). The downside is that, if you don't win any prizes at all, then you will have spent an extra $1 for nothing.
What Are the Powerball Prizes?
The amount of money you win here is determined by how many numbers you get right and in what combination. The criterion for each prize is listed in the below table.
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| Numbers | Prize | 2X Power Play | 3X Power Play | 4X Power Play | 5X Power Play | 10X Power Play |
| 5 White Balls + Power Ball | Grand Prize | Grand Prize | Grand Prize | Grand Prize | Grand Prize | Grand Prize |
| 5 White Balls | $1 Million | $2 Million | $2 Million | $2 Million | $2 Million | $2 Million |
| 4 White Balls + Power Ball | $50,000 | $100,000 | $150,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| 4 White Balls | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 White Balls + Power Ball | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 White Balls | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 2 White Balls + Power Ball | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 1 White Ball + Power Ball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
| Just the Power Ball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
While all of the other prizes are fixed cash amounts, the Powerball jackpot fluctuates in value based on how many tickets were sold and when the last person won.
Much like with the Mega Millions lottery, should you be lucky enough to win the grand prize here, then you can choose to accept it as a lump sum or in annuity payments that are spread out over 29 years.
The next Powerball lottery will be drawn at 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 27.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
