MIDDLETOWN, PA (CBS) — – The largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history got even bigger when the Powerball jackpot for the January 9 drawing was increased Saturday morning to a $900 million annuity value or a $558 million cash prize, thanks to strong ticket sales in participating states.
The jackpot initially rolled to $675 million on Wednesday night. On Thursday, brisk ticket sales pushed it to a $700 million annuity value or a $428.4 million cash prize. On Friday, it rose again to an $800 million annuity value or a $496 million cash prize.
“Tickets will remain on sale in Pennsylvania until 9:59 p.m. Saturday, but please play early to make sure you get your chance at winning this historic jackpot,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “We always remind players to please play responsibly, no matter the size of the jackpot.”
This jackpot has been rolling since the November 4, 2015, drawing. Since then, in Pennsylvania alone, Powerball has produced one $2 million winner, two $1 million winners and nearly 1.2 million winners of over $13.6 million in prizes.
The televised drawing takes place at 11 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.
If tonight’s jackpot is won by a Pennsylvania player, it would become the state’s 20th multi-state jackpot win. The Pennsylvania Lottery has sold 17 jackpot-winning Powerball tickets and two jackpot-winning Mega Millions tickets.
The largest Powerball prize Pennsylvania has ever awarded was a $110.2 million cash-value jackpot claimed by a New Jersey couple in May, 2004. The state’s largest Powerball group win was a $107.5 million cash jackpot shared by 48 transit workers in the Philadelphia area in April, 2012.
Powerball is sold in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Here’s a look at the 10 previous highest jackpots and where the winners were from:
$656.0 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (3 tickets from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)
$636 million, Mega Millions Dec 17, 2013, (2 tickets, from California and Georgia)
$590.5 million, Powerball, May 18, 2013 (1 ticket from Florida)
$587.5 million, Powerball, Nov. 28, 2012 (2 tickets from Arizona and Missouri)
$564.1 million, Powerball, Feb 11, 2015 – (3 tickets, from North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Texas)
$448.4 million, Powerball, Aug 7, 2013, (3 tickets, one from Minnesota and two from New Jersey)
$425.3 million, Powerball, Feb 19, 2014 – (1 ticket from California)
$414 million, Mega Millions, March 18, 2014, (2 tickets from Florida and Maryland)
$399.4 million, Powerball, Sept 18, 2013, (1 ticket from South Carolina)
$390.0 million, Mega Millions, March 6, 2007 (2 tickets from Georgia and New Jersey)