Powerball® jackpot Increased to $380 Million

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Lottery Directory John Musgrave announced today that the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) has increased the Powerball® jackpot for the Saturday, February 7, drawing to an estimated $380 million.

“When jackpots reach this level, there is always an increased amount of excitement among players,” Musgrave said. “We have been on a lucky streak over the past year with a record number of $1 Million or more Match 5 prize winners, and would love to add a West Virginia jackpot winner to our list.”

The advertised Powerball jackpot was initially set at $360 million for Saturday’s drawing, however strong sales across the country have prompted MUSL to increase the advertised annuity amount to $380 million and the cash option amount to $256.8 million.

This is the Powerball game’s highest jackpot since it was hit on Feb. 19, 2014, when one ticket sold in California won $425.3 million. The current jackpot amount of $380 million ranks as the game’s sixth-largest annuity prize on record.

West Virginia has produced a total of 14 Powerball and Mega Millions tickets that have matched five numbers and were worth $1 million over the course of the last 12 months.

Powerball® tickets cost $2 and players select five white balls from a set of 59 numbers plus a single red ball, the Powerball, from a second set of 35 numbers. Players may select their own numbers using a Powerball® play slip that is available at all West Virginia Lottery retail locations, or they may opt for computer-selected easy picks. Players must match all five numbers drawn plus the Powerball number to win the jackpot. There also are eight additional ways for players to win cash prizes.

Purchasing the $1 Power Play option allows a winner to increase lower-tier prizes by a factor of 2, 3, 4 or 5, depending on the Power Play number drawn. The jackpot and the Match 5 prize are not multiplied. The Match 5 prize with the Power Play option is set at $2 million. It is $1 million without Power Play.

Powerball is sold in 44 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In West Virginia, tickets are sold until 9:59 p.m. on drawings nights, Wednesday and Saturday.