Powerball Kitty Is Now 6th Highest Ever

An estimated $1.4 billion lottery jackpot will be up for grabs Wednesday night, thanks to dozens of drawings without a big winner. The massive Powerball prize is the sixth-largest US lottery jackpot ever, the result of 40 consecutive drawings stretching over the summer without anyone matching all of the game's six numbers, per the AP. No one has won the grand prize since May 31, and the 41st drawing on Wednesday will be just one fewer than the record set last year.

All of that losing stems from Powerball's abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million, though lottery officials note the odds are far better for the game's many smaller prizes. There are three drawings each week. The $1.4 billion jackpot is for a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. Winners almost always choose the game's cash option, which for this drawing would be an estimated $634.3 million. Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.