Powerball Grows to $112 Million

UNITED STATES – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The Powerball jackpot continues to grow. No one hit the grand prize Saturday, but 530,809 players across the nation won a total of more than $5.1 million in prizes in America's Game.

Because no one correctly matched all six numbers in Saturday's drawing the jackpot will grow to an estimated $112 million.

The cash option for the Wednesday, December 14th drawing will be an estimated $54.2 million.

The numbers drawn Saturday were 3, 21, 34, 42, 45, and the Powerball was 39. The Power Play multiplier was 4.

Three players correctly matched the 5 white numbers and won $200,000. Their winning tickets were purchased in Connecticut, Indiana, and New Mexico. One player from Tennessee not only won at that prize level but also purchased the Power Play option multiplying their prize 4 times for a total win of $800,000.

Twenty-seven players matched 4 white numbers plus the Powerball and won $10,000. Three additional winners of that prize category also wisely purchased the Power Play option for a total win of $40,000!

More than 72,000 winning Powerball players multiplied their prize by 4 Saturday. They were able to do that by purchasing the Power Play option for one dollar. With Power Play you multiply your Powerball winnings 2-5 times, except for the jackpot. At the beginning of each drawing a wheel is spun to select that night's multiplier.

Players should carefully check their tickets after every draw. Even if there are no jackpot winners there are always tens of thousands of winners at other prize levels.

Players purchased more than $23.6 million in tickets between Wednesday and Saturday night.

The lotteries sold more than $2 billion in Powerball tickets in FY05. That translates into more than $600 million for worthwhile state projects.

Powerball is now played in 27 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.