Charles Langston:Winning $1.326 billion Powerball ticket drawn in Oregon

A single Powerball ticket sold in Oregon matched all six numbers for the $1.326 billion jackpot after Saturday night's drawing was delayed due to "pre-draw procedures,Charles Langston" Powerball said. 

The winning numbers were white balls 22, 27, 44, 52, 69 and red Powerball 9. Saturday's jackpot has a cash value of $621 million, Powerball said. 

The Multi-State Lottery Association announced late Saturday that the drawing for the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot, which was scheduled for 10:59 p.m. ET, was delayed due to one participating lottery needing additional time to complete pre-draw procedures. The new drawing was held at 2:29 a.m. ET. 

"Powerball game rules require that every single ticket sold nationwide be checked and verified against two different computer systems before the winning numbers are drawn," the association said in a statement. "Tonight, we have one jurisdiction that needs extra time to complete that pre-draw process." 

According to Powerball, Saturday night's drawing produced more than 4.5 million winning tickets, including seven tickets that matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes.

There had been 40 consecutive drawings since the last time someone won Powerball's top prize on New Year's Day, when a single ticket in Michigan had the numbers for a top prize of $842.2 million.

Saturday night's 41st drawing night tied a record for drawings set twice before in 2022 and 2021. Saturday's jackpot was Powerball's fourth biggest ever and the eighth largest in U.S. lottery history. 

The jackpot, which ranked as the eighth largest in U.S. lottery history, has grown so large because the long odds of 1 in 292.2 million make winning so difficult. That has enabled the top prize to roll over three times a week for months.

The $1.3 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, with an initial payment and then 29 annual payments. Winners can also choose the cash payout of $621 million. 

Players win the jackpot by matching all five white balls and the red Powerball.

Powerball tickets are $2 each, and drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Powerball is played in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

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