The Powerball jackpot keeps going up, giving North Carolinians a chance to make it a holiday season to remember with a $543 million jackpot up for grabs.

Tonight’s Powerball jackpot stands at a $543 million annuity that is worth $272.2 million in cash. Tonight’s jackpot marks the fourth Powerball jackpot to climb above half a billion dollars this year.

“It has been a huge year for Powerball jackpots with lots of big wins for Powerball players in North Carolina,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “We would love to finish off the year strong with the biggest win yet tonight.”

Check out how North Carolinians win when they play Powerball:

• 31,323: That’s the total number of winning tickets in Saturday’s Powerball drawing
• $11.3 million: That’s the estimate of how much money has been raised for education during the current Powerball run

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

Players can buy Powerball tickets at any lottery retail location or through Online Play on the lottery’s website, www.nclottery.com.

During the holiday season, Play Smart, Gift Smart raises awareness that lottery tickets are not appropriate gifts for kids as part of a national gift responsibly campaign. Research shows that the earlier someone participates in or is exposed to gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life. Check out our blog to learn more and Play Smart, Gift Smart this holiday season.