The latest drawing of the Powerball lottery, offering a jackpot of $333 million, with a cash value of $241.5 million, took place last night.
The winning numbers for December 15, 2021, were 19, 20, 40, 42 and 59, while the Powerball was 15 and the Power Play was 3x.
Last night's drawing saw no winners of the jackpot, but one lucky player correctly guessed the five white balls, earning them the second prize, valued at $1 million. The winner purchased the Power Play option for $1, which raised their second-prize earnings to $2 million.
There were six ticket holders who matched four white balls plus the Powerball, earning them each $50,000. One of these players opted for the Power Play, tripling their third prize winnings to $150,000.
A group of 327 people correctly guessed four white balls without the Powerball, which won them each $100. Of these winners, 108 of them opted for Power Play, earning them all $300.
There were 859 ticket holders who matched three white balls plus the Powerball, which also earned them each $100. Of them, 276 players purchased the Power Play option, raising their winnings to $300.
The next drawing will be on Sunday, December 19, with an estimated jackpot of $353 million and cash value of $256 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 value continues to grow until it's 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.
