At 10:07 p.m. Monday, eight minutes after the winning numbers of the historic $1.9 billion Powerball drawing were scheduled to be revealed, lottery officials made an announcement.
"Tonight’s Powerball drawing has been delayed due to a participating lottery needing extra time to complete the required security protocols," The California Lottery tweeted. "Powerball has strict security requirements that must be met by all 48 lotteries before a drawing can occur."
"When the required security protocols are complete, the drawing will be performed under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors," the statement went on to say. "Winning numbers will be posted as soon as they are available. Thank you for your patience"
About an hour and a half later, at 11:38 p.m., another update was tweeted.
"UPDATE: The #Powerball draw is still delayed," the California Lottery said. "There is an issue in another state. It is not due to any delays at the California Lottery. There is currently no estimated time for the drawing."
Hours later, the drawing still hadn't taken place.
But just after 8 a.m. Tuesday, the winning numbers were released: 10, 33, 41, 47 and 56, with a Powerball of 10.
Here's what we know about why the drawing was delayed, as well as how to win.
One of the 48 Lotteries Needed More Time to "Complete its Security Protocols"
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According to lottery officials, one of the states that participates in the Powerball game had "failed to meet its security protocols in time."
“When the required security protocols are complete, the drawing will be performed under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors,” said a statement from the Multi-State Lottery Association read late Monday.
$2 Powerball tickets can be purchased in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Five states — Utah, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska and Alabama — do not have a lottery.
According to officials with the Multi-State Lottery Association, we may never know which state has caused the delay.
“It’s against our policy to name the lottery that is experiencing the delay," the association said early Tuesday.
Last Minute Ticket Sales Pushed the $1.9 Billion Jackpot Over $2 Billion
After no winner was drawn in Saturday's $1.5 billion Powerball drawing, the jackpot ballooned to $1.9 billion -- the highest number in U.S. history.
However, according to officials, the amount rose due to last minute tickets sold.
And according lottery officials, that's exactly what happened. Powerball in a Tuesday press release said "the jackpot climbed beyond its earlier estimate to $2.04 billion at the time of the drawing."
You Don't Need to Match All Six Numbers to Win a Payout
But you do need to match all six numbers in order to win the jackpot.
Players can win various payouts from one, two, three, four, or five matched numbers. That prize increases if the Powerball number is matched.
Here's a Powerball Payout breakdown:
- 5 numbers matched: $1 million (1 in 11,688,054 odds)
- 4 numbers matched + Powerball: $50,000 (1 in 913,129 odds)
- 4 numbers matched: $100 (1 in 36,525 odds)
- 3 numbers matched + Powerball: $100 (1 in 14,494 odds)
- 3 numbers matched: $7 (1 in 580 odds)
- 2 numbers matched + Powerball: $7 (1 in 701 odds)
- 1 number matched + Powerball: $4 (1 in 92 odds)
- Powerball matched: $4 (1 in 38 odds)
Players also have the option of adding a "Power Play" to their ticket, which is an additional cost but can increase the amount of money you win if you get a match.
When Do Powerball Drawings Take Place?
Powerball drawings are every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 9:59 p.m. CST.
