What are the winning Powerball numbers for Wednesday, December 20, and did anyone win the $269 million jackpot? Grab your ticket and find out if you will be celebrating the holidays as lottery’s newest multimillionaire.
There hasn’t been a Powerball jackpot winner in almost two months, with the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting that the last time someone matched all five white balls and the red Powerball was October 25 , when a single ticket holder won $191 million.
If you’re anxious to find out if you can quit your job and live the lifestyle of the rich and famous, find out below how to watch Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing live. If you miss the drawing, we’ll update this post with the winning Powerball numbers as soon as they are drawn at 10:59 p.m. ET.
According to the official Powerball website, the drawing is broadcast live right before the 11 p.m. news on these TV stations. You can also watch the drawing live streaming online on WRAL or on the free LotteryHub app for the iPhone or Android mobile devices.
UPDATE: The winning Powerball numbers for December 20 are 1, 20,61, 54, 69 PB 20
To win the jackpot, you must match all five white balls and the Powerball. Odds are slim that you will win, with ABC News reporting that the odds of winning the top prize is 1 in 292 million . Still, it wouldn’t be a bad return on the $2 investment if you manage to beat the odds.
If you do win the $269 Powerball jackpot and choose to take home the lump sum instead of a 30-year annuity, you won’t get the entire jackpot. The prize is based on the cash value of the jackpot ($171 million), but you’ll get even less than that.
According to USA Mega , federal taxes in the amount of almost $43 million will be deducted from your payment, leaving you with a little more than $128 million. If you live in a state that taxes lottery winnings, owe child support, or back taxes, you can expect to see further deductions before you get your windfall via check or direct deposit.
Tonight’s #Powerball jackpot is an estimated $269 million. RT if you’ve got your tickets ready! #ChristmasIsComing pic.twitter.com/p64vlq8kO7
— Powerball USA (@PowerballUSA) December 20, 2017
Don’t throw away your ticket if you don’t win the Powerball jackpot on Wednesday night. There’s always a chance that you could win a non-jackpot prize. Last week, more than 950,000 tickets were eligible to collect prizes ranging from $4 to $1 million, so there may be a consolation prize if you have one of the following combinations.
- Five white balls = $1 million
- 4 white balls or 3 white balls and the Powerball = $100
- 3 white balls, or 2 white balls and the Powerball = $7
- 1 white ball and the Powerball, or just the red Powerball = $4
Powerball tickets are sold in kiosks and at the counter at lottery retailers in 44 states; Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
