The jackpot for Saturday night’s Powerball drawing continues to grow, reaching an estimated $325 million.
A winner in North Carolina could take home the jackpot as an annuity paying out the $325 million over 29 years or choose to take home $201.2 million in cash.
One way that many North Carolinians enjoy playing Powerball is with a group. On Monday, a group of 22 communications workers at Fort Bragg, the Power Play 22 team, arrived at lottery headquarters to claim a $100,000 prize they won in the April 2 drawing.
Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery, said the Power Play 22 team celebration showed how much fun group play can be.
“We want people to play for fun,” Michalko said, “and getting together with a group of friends is a great way to do that.”
The Powerball jackpot has been rolling since the Valentine’s Day drawing when a ticket sold in Connecticut won a $185.3 million jackpot. Powerball drawings now are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday and the odds of winning a jackpot are 1 in 292 million. Powerball tickets cost $2.
North Carolinians can buy Powerball tickets at any lottery retail location in the state. Tickets can also be purchased through Online Play on the lottery’s website, www.nclottery.com, and with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.
Ticket sales from draw games such as Powerball help make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.