Powerball Jackpot Hits $800 Million For April 5 Drawing

The Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated $800 million for the April 5 drawing, marking the eighth-largest prize in the game's history. The massive jackpot comes after no ticket matched all six numbers in Saturday's drawing, continuing a streak of rollovers since early February.

Lottery officials confirmed the $800 million prize would be paid as an annuity over 29 years, though winners typically opt for a smaller lump-sum cash payout (estimated at $384.8 million before taxes). The winning numbers will be drawn at 10:59 p.m. ET from Tallahassee, Florida.

This jackpot run has captured national attention as it approaches the $1 billion threshold, with long lines reported at lottery retailers across multiple states. The current jackpot ranks behind only seven previous Powerball prizes, including the record $2.04 billion won in November 2022.

Players have until 9:45 p.m. local time in most states to purchase tickets for tonight's drawing. Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of winning the jackpot remain 1 in 292.2 million.

State lottery officials remind players to check tickets carefully, as smaller prizes ranging from $4 to $1 million are frequently won even when the jackpot isn't hit. The last Powerball jackpot winner was a $214 million ticket sold in Washington state on February 12.