DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball lottery drawing scheduled for Saturday night time has been delayed to finish procedures required earlier than the numbers are introduced, the sport’s organizers stated.
The drawing for the sport, together with an estimated $1.3 billion jackpot, was delayed to allow one of many organizers to finish required procedures earlier than the scheduled numbers reveal at 10:59 p.m. ET, Powerball stated in a press release.
“Powerball recreation guidelines require that each single ticket offered nationwide be checked and verified in opposition to two completely different laptop methods earlier than the successful numbers are drawn,” the assertion stated. “That is completed to make sure that each ticket offered for the Powerball drawing has been accounted for and has an equal probability to win. Tonight, we’ve got one jurisdiction that wants further time to finish that pre-draw course of.”
A spokesperson for the Multi-State Lottery Affiliation informed The Related Press in an electronic mail that she didn’t have an estimate for the size of the delay.
Saturday’s jackpot ranks because the eighth largest in U.S. lottery historical past and the lengthy odds of successful are 1 in 292.2 million. Grand prize winners virtually all the time select a money payout, which for Saturday night time’s drawing can be an estimated $608.9 million.
Powerball is performed in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.