The estimated Powerball® jackpot is a whopping $310 million for Saturday night's drawing. Saturday's jackpot is the third largest cash jackpot in U.S. history.
"When the jackpot reaches historical levels, it gets attention. Those that don't play very often decide to take a chance," said the Lottery's Executive Director Paula Harper Bethea in a press release. "As always, we encourage players to please, above all else, play responsibly."
While this jackpot registers in the top three Powerball® jackpots of all time, it's also the third largest cash jackpot in U.S. history with a cash value of $193 million.
The odds of winning it are about one in 175 million.
The jackpot odds improved slightly with the Powerball® changes implemented in January. Those changes also promised bigger jackpots. It has been four years since the Powerball® jackpot has topped $300 million. The jackpot grew by $60 million for this drawing alone.
South Carolinians wanting to take a chance on Saturday night's drawing must purchase their Powerball® tickets by 9:59 p.m. for the 10:59 p.m. drawing.
Tickets are $2 and are available at lottery retailers statewide.
Players can purchase PowerPlay® for an extra $1 to see their non-jackpot winnings increased by set prize amounts. Match 5 white balls with PowerPlay® to win an automatic $2 million.
