The latest drawing of the Powerball lottery, offering a jackpot of $38 million, with a cash value of $26.5 million, took place on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.
The winning numbers were 12, 21, 22, 30 and 33, while the Powerball was 24 and the Power Play was 4x.
The latest round saw no winners of the top prize, but three lucky ticket holders matched the five white balls, winning them each the second prize, valued at $1 million. Of these winners, one purchased the Power Play option for $1, which raised their second prize earnings to $2 million.
There were eight players who correctly guessed four white balls plus the Powerball, earning them each $50,000. Four of these ticket holders opted for the Power Play, enhancing each of their third prize winnings to $200,000.
A group of 300 players correctly matched four white balls without the Powerball, each earning $100. Of these winners, 97 purchased the Power Play, which won them each $400.
There were 581 people who guessed three white balls and the Powerball, which also won them each $100. Of them, 222 players purchased the Power Play option, raising each of their winnings to $400.
The next drawing will be on Sunday, January 16, with an estimated jackpot of $48 million and a cash value of $33.3 million.
How to Play Powerball
Powerball tickets, which cost $2 per play, are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Ticket holders each select five numbers from one to 69 for the five white balls and a number from one to 26 for the Powerball.
Players can multiply non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times by purchasing the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play.
Drawings take place every Wednesday and Saturday from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.
The Prizes
"There are nine ways to win a prize in Powerball. All prizes are set cash amounts, except the Grand Prize. In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners," the Powerball website explains.
The Powerball jackpot prize value continues to grow until it is won. "The Match 5 + Power Play prize value is always $2 million, while the 10X multiplier is only in play when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less," according to the website.
Jackpot winners can receive their prize as either an annuity or a lump-sum payment. For those who choose the annuity option, the winner is guaranteed to receive 30 graduated payments over 29 years. The annual payments increase by 5 percent until the 30th and final payment, the website notes.
What Are the Odds of Winning?
The overall odds of winning a prize are one in 24.9 and the winning odds are the same in every Powerball drawing, according to the Powerball website.
"Even if there are more tickets sold in a particular drawing, your odds of winning a prize are the same," the website states.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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