Many, many more people are buying tickets now that the jackpot has reached nearly $2 billion. PLENTY OF PEOPLE MUST BE PLAYING NOW, RIGHT? Still, it has been an awful long time without a jackpot, and if there isn’t a winner Monday night, a new record will have been reached: 41 draws without anyone matching all six numbers. And more ticket sales mean the lottery can raise more money for public programs, which is the point of the state lotteries. With odds of 1 in 292 million, that means it’s unlikely anyone will win the prize until a growing jackpot attracts more players.
Those who spend $2 on a Powerball ticket might wonder if something is wrong when 40 drawings pass without a jackpot winner, but this is how the game is designed.
