Powerball Results, Numbers for 9/16/20: Did Anyone Win the $94 Million?

Last night's Powerball drawing for Wednesday, September 16, saw the jackpot stand at roughly $94 million, with a cash option of $75.1 million. Here's a breakdown of last night's numbers and all winners.

The winning numbers for the Powerball drawing in Tallahassee, Florida were 10, 17, 31, 51 and 53 with the Powerball 01 and the Power Play 2x.

And one lucky winner in New York scooped the jackpot by purchasing a ticket that successfully matched all five white numbers and the red Powerball. The life-changing sum won is the second straight multi-state lottery jackpot win, after someone in Wisconsin hit the $119 million Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday.

Aside from the jackpot winner, another person in Texas scooped up a $2 million prize after they successfully matched all numbers minus the Powerball. Matching all five white balls entitles the winner to a minimum payout of $1 million, but because they also purchased the 2x Power Play for an additional $1, their prize was doubled to $2 million.

A further eight people won $50,000 for matching four of the five white balls and the Powerball, while another three scooped $100,000 because in addition to this they also purchased the 2x Power Play. In total, last night's drawing saw 424,761 players win at least $4.

With the jackpot being claimed, it means the total for the grand prize resets back down to $20 million, with a cash value of $16 million, for the next drawing on Saturday, September 19. This could increase if sales further lottery projections, according to officials.

Before Wednesday's draw, the previous Powerball on Saturday, September 12 had the winning numbers of 16, 17, 20, 53 and 67 with the Powerball 04 and the Power Play 2x. There were no jackpot winners for that drawing, nor did anyone match all five white balls minus the red Powerball to secure the second biggest prize.

Before last night's drawing, the previous jackpot was won on August 12, when one lucky person in Florida matched all white balls and the Powerball to scoop a titanic $169 million payout. The numbers for that drawing were 2, 6, 18, 36 and 37 with the Powerball 21 and the Power Play 2x.

How do you play Powerball?

Powerball is one of the most popular multi-state lotteries in the country. The game is available to play in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The five states that do not sell lottery tickets are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

Drawings usually take place twice a week on a Wednesday and Saturday night, at 10:59 p.m. ED. Each draw is broadcast live from the lottery studio in Tallahassee, Florida.

Each ticket costs $2 per play, with players selecting five numbers from 1 to 69, in addition to one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. In certain circumstances, players can also multiply non-jackpot prizes by using the Power Play option for an additional $1.

The graphic below, provided by Statista, shows the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.

Why is the Powerball so low?

Powerball slashed its minimum payout in half from $40 million to $20 million back in March because of the coronavirus pandemic leading to reduced sales, according to lottery officials.

Powerball Product Group Chairman and Maine Lottery Director Gregory Mineo said in a statement at the time, "Powerball players in many U.S. lottery jurisdictions are under shelter-in-place orders or recommendations, which have affected normal consumer behaviors.

"Just like other enterprises around the world that are making adjustments, we are making proactive changes to continue to offer the world's premier lottery product."

Since the coronavirus pandemic, the jackpot has been reset at $20 million after it is won, rather than the previous $40 million.

Powerball's official website claims that players have a 1 in 24.9 chance of winning any prize regardless of the number of participants. But the chances of winning the grand prize jackpot are astronomically higher at 1 in 292,201,338, according to the official website.

Winners can choose to either select their prize as an annuity, or for significantly less, a lump-sum payment. The annuity option sees the winner receive 30 annual payments over the space of 29 years, with each payment increasing by 5 percent until the 30th and final payment.

If you win a jackpot, call lottery officials at 1-800-222-0996.