$1.9 billion Powerball drawing delayed due to one lottery's 'issues processing sales'

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Powerball drawing was delayed Monday and it's likely that the official results won't be known until later Tuesday, the Multi-State Lottery Association said in a statement. The record-breaking $1.9 billion Powerball drawing was delayed because a participating lottery had issues processing sales, officials said.

"Powerball requires all 48 participating lotteries to submit their sales and play data prior to the winning numbers being selected. Once Powerball receives the outstanding submission, the drawing can proceed," the lottery said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Nearly three hours after the scheduled 10:59 p.m. EST drawing, the association told the AP, "It's against our policy to name the lottery that is experiencing the delay."

Earlier, the lottery said the Powerball "has been delayed due to a participating lottery needing extra time to complete the required security protocols."

"Powerball has strict security requirements that must be met by all 48 lotteries before a drawing can occur. When the required security protocols are complete, the drawing will be performed under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors," a statement said.

The winning numbers and recorded video of the drawing will be posted to the Powerball website and YouTube channel. Players should hold onto their tickets, the statement said.

The jackpot is nearly $400 million larger than the previous record jackpot and will keep growing until someone wins the prize. Only four previous jackpots have topped $1 billion, but none of those are close to the current prize, which started at $20 million back on Aug. 6 and over three winless months has grown ever more massive. No one has won the jackpot since Aug. 3.

A winner who chooses an annuity, paid annually over 29 years, would get the estimated $1.9 billion payout. Nearly all winners instead opt for cash, which for Monday's drawing would be $929.1 million.

Even as more people attracted by the giant prize drop $2 on a Powerball ticket, the game's ultra-long odds of 1 in 292.2 million means there still is a good chance that another drawing will pass without anyone winning the grand prize. That would push the jackpot for Wednesday's drawing to more than $2 billion.

The game is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The jackpot started at $20 million back on Aug. 6 and over three winless months has grown to be 95 times as large. Put another way, it's a crazy amount of money.

WHY SO LONG WITHOUT A WINNER?

Those who spend $2 on a Powerball ticket might wonder if something is wrong when 40 drawings pass without a jackpot winner, but this is how the game is designed. With odds of 1 in 292 million, that means it's unlikely anyone will win the prize until a growing jackpot attracts more players. And more ticket sales mean the lottery can raise more money for public programs, which is the point of the state lotteries. Still, it has been an awful long time without a jackpot, and if there isn't a winner Monday night, a record will have been reached: 41 draws without anyone matching all six numbers.

PLENTY OF PEOPLE MUST BE PLAYING NOW, RIGHT?

Yes and no. Many, many more people are buying tickets now that the jackpot has reached nearly $2 billion. That's clear from the fact that when the jackpot started at $20 million in the summer, players bought only enough tickets to cover less than 10% of the 292.2 million possible number combinations. For Saturday night's drawing, that had climbed to 62%, so millions and millions of people are playing. But that percentage is still less than the 88.6% coverage reached for the previous record jackpot in 2016. And if 38% of the possible number combinations aren't covered, there is a good chance there won't be a winner.

Players can choose numbers themselves but the overwhelming majority let a machine randomly pick the numbers.

That's not the case for George Pagen, of Brooklyn, New York, who always selects his numbers.

“I cannot let the machine pick for me,” he said. “I have numbers in my mind and I'm going to win it. I'm going to win it and share it with all my friends and family and everybody.”

WILL THE EVENTUAL WINNER REALLY GET $1.9 BILLION?

Pity the poor Powerball winner, as the lucky ticketholder will see nothing close to $1.9 billion. It's only a question of how much less.

First, that $1.9 billion prize is for winners who choose payment through an annuity, which sends out a check annually for 29 years, with a 5% increase each year. But almost no winners take the annuity, instead opting for cash. For Monday night's drawing, the cash prize would be $929.1 million, or less than half the annuity prize.

Given the difference between the two prize options, Daniel Law of Brooklyn, New York, said he would consult a tax attorney if he won.

“We'd figure out which one is a better deal,” Law said as he bought tickets at a liquor store. “The annuity might be good because it would stop us from spending, but it's pretty hard to spend $2 billion all at once.”

Federal taxes would take an additional bite, lessening the payout by more than one-third, and many states tax lottery winnings would as well.

The difference between the annuity and cash prizes has grown larger recently because inflation has resulted in higher interest rates, which means money invested in the annuity can grow.

DO I HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF WINNING IF I BUY MORE TICKETS?

Yes, but your odds of winning aren't significantly improved. Think of it this way: If you buy one ticket, you have a 1 in 292.2 million chance of winning the jackpot. If you spend $10 for five number combinations, your chances are better, but at 5 in 292.2 million you still almost undoubtedly are not going to hit the jackpot. The same is true if you spend $100. Lottery officials say the average player buys two or three tickets, meaning they're putting money down on a dream with very little chance it will pay off in a rich reality.

WHERE IS POWERBALL PLAYED?

Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.