The Powerball prize has jackpotted to a whopping $150 million after Thursday night’s top prize went unclaimed.
Draw 1444 had a Division One prize of $100 million after going unclaimed last week – equal to the fifth-largest jackpot in Australian lottery history.
However, Australians will now have a chance to score the second-biggest jackpot the nation has ever seen, with Powerball offering a phenomenal $150 million in next Thursday’s draw.
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Although no one claimed the division one prize in the draw, a total of 3,445,440 prizes worth more than $71.1 million were won in divisions two to nine.
The winning numbers were 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 31 and 34, and the Powerball is 6. You can check the winning dividends here.
There were 15 Division Two winners, each taking home more than $130,000.
Lottery officials said they were expecting a massive demand for tickets for Thursday’s draw, with up to half of Australian adults expected to have entered.
“It’s undeniable that the idea of winning a slice of the $150 million Division One prize will captivate the minds of many Australians this week as anticipation and excitement builds,” Anna Hobdell, a spokesperson for The Lott, said on Thursday night.
“We expect a surge in lottery outlets and online as we approach Thursday night’s multi-million-dollar draw, with up to half of Australian adults expected to have an entry into the draw.”
Hobdell said the peak of sales in last night’s draw occurred with less than an hour until entries closed.
More than 7000 tickets were sold in a single minute.
What happens if you win Division One?
- A representative from The Lott will call you immediately with the good news using the contact number listed in your account.
- The Lott will send a letter to confirm your Division One Powerball win — as well as some “congratulatory goodies” to celebrate your win.
- The Lott says you’ll then have to wait two weeks to receive your winnings. “You’ll have a two-week provisional period to plan what you’re going to do with your life-changing prize,” The Lott says.
- The prize will then be paid into your online account so you can then withdraw the millions to a bank account of your choice.
If you’re concerned about your gambling or the gambling of a friend or family member, log on to Gambling Help Online or make contact via phone on 1800 858 858.
You can access online counselling as well as services in your state or territory and support for family and friends.