Powerball is capping off its 30th anniversary week in style, as the jackpot for Saturday night’s drawing just hit the $400 million mark.

The first drawing ever held in a Powerball game took place 30 years ago today on April 22, 1992. Since its inception, the Powerball game has produced 393 jackpot-winning tickets, including five that ended up in the hands of someone from North Carolina.

If someone in North Carolina wins Saturday’s jackpot, that person would face a big decision. Should they take the $400 million paid as an annuity over 29 years? Or should they take the lump sum of $240.8 million?

“What a great choice to have,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “We’ve had five Powerball jackpot winners in North Carolina and so far, each one has taken the cash. Here’s hoping someone in our state gets to make that choice again on Saturday night.”

North Carolinians who play Powerball have been lucky with big wins. In addition to the five jackpot wins, the state has seen 24 wins of $2 million and 99 wins of $1 million.

Michalko said the biggest wins in the game occur as the ticket sales raise money for education in the state. So far, Powerball sales have raised more than $1.1 billion for education in North Carolina.

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.