Powerball jackpot hits whopping $1.9 billion

The Powerball jackpot hit a massive new record of $1.9bn after yet another drawing where no one won the top prize.On Saturday, the lottery drawing yielded the numbers 28, 45, 53, 56, 69 and Powerball 20. The next drawing is slated for Monday.Powerball said having no winners on Saturday would ‘tie the game record for the number of consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner,’ per CNN. As of Saturday’s drawing, there have been 40 drawings since the jackpot was previously won in Pennsylvania on 3 August.The repetitive drawings are likely due to the odds of winning the jackpot, which is currently 1 in 292.2 million. The jackpot is won when a player matches their numbers with all five white balls and one red Powerball.When someone wins the $1.9bn jackpot, they’ll have the option to either take their winnings in a lump sum or be paid through an annuity over 29 years.In the wake of the jackpot surging to a record high, The New York Times reported this weekend that lottery ticket sales have been surging. In Franklin County and Oneida County, Idaho, a lottery worker told the paper that ticket sales were up 597 percent compared to ‘a more traditional week a month ago’ when the jackpot was around $354 million.A Miami woman who bought 15 tickets from her local Publix supermarket on Thursday morning told the Times that she already has a plan in place for what she’ll do if she wins.’First thing I do after I win?’ she said. ‘Change my phone number.’You can purchase a Powerball ticket for $2 and it’s played in 45 states, including Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.