Winning numbers drawn in US$415m Powerball, ninth highest in US history

[LOS ANGELES] Winning numbers were drawn on Saturday night for the multi-state Powerball jackpot, which had grown to at least US$415 million, the ninth-highest US lottery prize in history, officials said.

The winning numbers selected just before 11 pm EDT were 25 66 44 5 26 with the Powerball 9. There was no immediate word on whether anyone had the winning combination.

It was the largest jackpot for any US lottery since January, when three Powerball tickets split a record US$1.6 billion.

The odds of winning at Powerball are one in 292 million. Statistics experts say that means an American is roughly 25 times more likely to become the next president of the United States than to win the game.

Kelly Cripe, a Texas-based lottery spokeswoman, said if there was no winner on Saturday, after 18 consecutive draws without a winner, the jackpot will grow to an estimated US$525 million for Wednesday's numbers selection.

That would rank as the seventh-largest jackpot for any US lottery, she said in an email.

Powerball is played in 44 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

REUTERS