Powerball at $1 billion for Wednesday, Aug. 12. About results, winners
Feeling lucky? For the 15th time in history, a lottery jackpot jumped past the $1 billion mark. Next Powerball drawing is Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.
For the 15th time in history, a lottery jackpot jumped past the $1 billion mark.
After no one matched all five numbers plus the Powerball in the Monday, Aug. 10, drawing, the jackpot jumped from $905 million to a whopping $975 million for the next drawing — Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.
But then …
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, Powerball officials posted online that this lottery streak didn’t need another rollover drawing to make history. As of noon ET Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, the Powerball jackpot had already reached $1 billion.
The estimated cash option for the Wednesday, Aug. 12, pot increased to $422.3 million, according to Powerball online. Below is what to know about the other 14 times in U.S. history a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a lottery jackpot crossed the $2 billion mark − in November 2022 with Edwin Castro of Altadena, California, winning $2.04 billion from a then-advertised $1.9 billion Powerball jackpot.
When did Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots hit $1 billion?
As of Aug. 11, 2026, there have been 15 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion. Listed below are the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
- $2.04 billion Powerball prize, Nov. 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California
- $1.82 billion Powerball prize, Dec. 24, 2025, won by an anonymous player in Arkansas
- $1.79 billion Powerball prize, Sept. 6, 2025, tickets purchased in St. Louis, Missouri, and Fredericksburg, Texas
- $1.73 billion Powerball prize, Oct. 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck of California (ticket purchased at Midway Market in California)
- $1.586 billion Powerball prize, Jan. 13, 2016, Marvin and Mae Acosta of California, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee
- $1.58 billion Mega Millions prize, Aug. 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
- $1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, Oct. 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
- $1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with the ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
- $1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
- $1.326 billion Powerball prize, April 6, 2024, Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon
- $1.269 billion Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, Rosemary Casarotti of California
- $1.128 billion Mega Millions prize, March 26, 2024, won by an anonymous winner in New Jersey with the ticket purchased at ShopRite Liquor No. 781 in Neptune Township, New Jersey
- $1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
- $1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 22, 2021, won by the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County, Michigan
- $1 billion Powerball prize, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026?
This Powerball winner almost won $1 billion with a ticket from a Publix grocery store
There was a 2025 holiday lottery frenzy with the Christmas Eve Powerball for $1.817 billion, but immediately before that, there was a near-$1 billion Mega Millions winner from Georgia.
On Jan. 6, 2026, the Georgia Lottery announced the winner — a Peach State resident who bought their ticket from a Publix grocery store in Newnan, Georgia — came forward a few days earlier and had selected the cash option, which amounted to $453.6 million before taxes. In November 2025, just before Thanksgiving and the holiday season, Mega Millions drawings were rolling over and increasing in prize — to the tune of a cool $980 million.
Finally, one lucky ticket scored the perfect number combination just before Turkey Day. A Publix grocery store in Georgia sold the winning ticket that matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, Mega Millions drawing. Final sales pushed the total to $983 million, according to the Georgia Lottery.
The winner elected to stay anonymous, according to galottery.com.
After 37 rollovers in a lottery streak that started just after St. Patrick’s Day, this jackpot was close to reaching $1 billion and was already in the Top 10 biggest prizes for Mega Millions in the history of the game.
Alas, it ended when one ticket from Bradenton, Florida, matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball to a tune of $800 million in the Tuesday, July 28, 2026, Mega Millions drawing.
Soon after the lottery numbers were pulled, Mega Millions officials announced online that the winning ticket came from Florida. On Wednesday, July 29, Florida Lottery officials reported the winner bought a ticket from Wawa, 14510 State Road 70 E, Bradenton, Florida.
The winning numbers for the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, were 34-48-49-59-70 and the Mega Ball was 12.
How long has Powerball rolled over?
Powerball reset to $20 million for Monday, May 4th, 2026 − Star Wars Day − after a pair of tickets in Florida and Texas matched all six numbers in the Saturday, May 2, 2026, Powerball drawing, splitting the $20 million prize.
The May 2 Powerball winner from here will briefly remain anonymous (see below), claiming a cash prize of $4,488,330.34, according to the Florida Lottery. The local ticket was purchased from La Caribena Grocery and Restaurant, 131 Buena Ventura Blvd., Kissimmee, Florida.
Interestingly, Powerball had reset to $20 million on Saturday, May 2, 2026, after two players in Indiana and Kansas matched all six numbers in the Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Powerball drawing to win a whopping $143 million. That April drawing had a wild number of second-tier winners, 89 to be exact, though none from Florida.
- Wednesday, Aug. 12:
$975 million, $1 billion, as of noon Tuesday, Aug. 11 - Monday, Aug. 10: $905 million
- Saturday, Aug. 8: $856 million
- Wednesday, Aug. 5: $786 million
- Monday, Aug. 3: $748 million
- Saturday, Aug. 1: $707 million
- Wednesday, July 29: $663 million
- Monday, July 27: $633 million
- Saturday, July 25: $600 million
- Wednesday, July 22: $567 million
- Monday, July 20: $544 million
- Saturday, July 18: $526 million
- Wednesday, July 16: $498 million
- Monday, July 13: $478 million
- Saturday, July 11: $457 million
- Wednesday, July 8: $434 million
- Monday, July 6: $416 million
- Saturday, July 4, Independence Day or July Fourth: $396 million
- Wednesday, July 1: $375 million
- Monday, June 29: $360 million
- Saturday, June 27: $348 million
- Wednesday, June 24: $327 million
- Monday, June 22: $312 million
- Saturday, June 20: $302 million
- Wednesday, June 17: $283 million
- Monday, June 15: $269 million
- Saturday, June 13: $258 million
- Wednesday, June 10: $238 million
- Monday, June 8: $225 million
- Saturday, June 6: $212 million
- Wednesday, June 3: $194 million
- Monday, June 1: $180 million
- Saturday, May 30: $172 million
- Wednesday, May 27: $154 million
- Monday, May 25, or Memorial Day: $141 million
- Saturday, May 23: $131 million
- Wednesday, May 20: $113 million
- Monday, May 18: $100 million
- Saturday, May 16: $86 million
- Wednesday, May 13: $69 million
- Monday, May 11: $58 million
- Saturday, May 9: $47 million
- Wednesday, May 6th, or Revenge of the Sixth, another Star Wars holiday: $30 million
- Monday, May 4th, or May the 4th Be With You, a Star Wars holiday: $20 million
What are the chances of winning Powerball lottery?
Powerball drawings are held at 11 p.m. ET Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, including holidays. According to Powerball.com, players have a 1 in 292.2 million chance to match all six numbers whether the jackpot is $20 million or $2 billion. Prizes range from $2 to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
How long do you have to cash in a Florida Lottery ticket?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
Does Florida Lottery publish info on winners? Can you stay anonymous if you win lottery in Florida?
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence, game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site states the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This content is sourced from www.palmbeachpost.com and is shared for informational purposes only.
