The Powerball jackpot continued its holiday climb after Monday night’s drawing produced no grand-prize winner, pushing tonight’s (Wednesday) estimated prize to $1.7 billion annuity, or $781.3 million cash. The jackpot is now the fourth-largest in U.S. lottery history and has been growing since it was last won in September. Wednesday’s drawing will be the 47th of the current jackpot run, extending a record for the longest streak in the game’s 33-year history. Iowa Lottery players won 37,996 prizes in Monday’s drawing, including a $50,000-winning ticket sold at Casey’s in Walcott. That ticket matched four white balls and the Powerball, falling one number short of the jackpot. An estimated 375,000 Powerball tickets were sold in Iowa for Monday’s drawing, totaling $2.26 million. In Iowa, ticket sales close at 8:59 p.m. with the drawing slated for 9:59 p.m. Central Time (CT). Lottery officials remind players that Powerball is meant to be entertainment and urge them to set a budget and play within their means.
