The numbers for a record-breaking $2.04bn Powerball jackpot have been drawn following a delay and players were awaiting the announcement of a possible winner.
The numbers for the drawing held in Tallahassee, Florida, were: white balls 10, 33, 41, 47 and 56, and the red Powerball was 10.
The Multi-State Lottery Association said Monday night’s Powerball drawing was delayed until Tuesday morning because a participating lottery had issues processing sales. The association said it was against its policy to say which lottery had the delay.
The jackpot was reported as an estimated $1.9bn on Monday, but was $2.04bn Tuesday morning after updated calculations.
Players pay to choose five numbers between 1 and 69, and a sixth number, between 1 and 26 – the “powerball”. If all six numbers picked match the ones chosen in the lottery drawing, the ticket holder wins the jackpot.
The game is played in 45 US states, as well as Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
“Powerball requires all 48 participating lotteries to submit their sales and play data prior to the winning numbers being selected. Once Powerball receives the outstanding submission, the drawing can proceed,” the Multi-State Lottery Association said in a statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, the association said in a statement that Powerball was “in communication with the lottery throughout the night as it works to resolve the issue”.
“Like the rest of America, Powerball is eager to hold its drawing for the world record jackpot, however, protecting the integrity of the draw is of upmost importance, even if that means a further delay,” the statement said.
The jackpot is nearly $400m larger than the previous record jackpot and will keep growing until someone wins the prize. Only four previous jackpots have topped $1bn, but none of those are close to the current prize, which started at $20m back on August 6 and over three winless months has grown ever more massive.
The winning numbers and recorded video of the drawing were posted to the Powerball website and YouTube channel
The $2.04bn prize is for a winner who chooses an annuity, paid annually over 29 years. Nearly all winners instead opt for cash, but the value of that option wasn’t immediately available Tuesday morning.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
