The Powerball winning numbers selected Saturday night were 8, 12, 13, 19 and 27 and the Powerballl was 4. The jackpot was downcasted slightly to $687.8 million, down from the Powerball’s earlier estimate of $750 million.
Winners have the chance between a lump sum or getting the money yearly for the rest of their lives.
The last Powerball winning jackpot was Aug. 11.
The odds of winning a jackpot remain abysmal at 1 in 302 million for Mega Millions and 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball.
Saturday’s winning Powerball numbers
- 8, 12, 13, 19 and 27
- Powerball: 4
Odds of winning
The odds of winning a jackpot remain abysmal at 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions and 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball.
Who buys lotto tickets?
About two-thirds of Americans gamble. Last year, they spent $72.97 billion on traditional lottery tickets, according to Gallup.
On average, that’s $206.69 per person. “Our obsession with lotteries, with gambling, is that unicorn feeling of, like, ‘maybe it’ll be me,'” CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger said. She points out that some people don’t necessarily play to win.
“They just want to take a moment out of their day to consider how to dream big,” Schlesinger said.
The average American spends about $223 per year on lottery tickets, according to a survey from LENDedu. Massachusetts residents have the biggest taste for playing the odds, spending almost $763 per year on lottery tickets, the study found. North Dakotans are on the opposite end of the spectrum, spending about $44 per year on the lottery, or the lowest average figure among residents of all 50 states.
Peter Martinez contributed to this report.
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
