Record $10 billion Powerball lottery prize draw postponed
Photo: The Lott/Divulgação

Scheduled to take place in the early hours of Tuesday, 8, at Brasília time, the draw for the record prize of Powerball, a traditional lottery game in the United States, has been suspended. In an official statement, the organizers claimed that one of the 48 lottery agencies that make up the game “is still processing sales and betting data”.

According to the lottery rules, it is essential that all participating houses pass on all the data of the tickets sold before the dozens are drawn. “Once the Powerball receives the pending presentation, the drawing will proceed”, concluded the official note, reporting that the forecast is that the draw will be made in the next few hours.

The expectation for the draw is gigantic due to the prize estimated at US$ 1.9 billion (almost R$ 10 billion, at the current price). Remembering that this lottery service even accepts bets made from Brazil, which can be made on specialized platforms.

The prize pool arouses the interest of gamblers from around the world for surpassing the biggest mark, which had been registered in January 2016. At the time, the prize of US$ 1.586 billion was shared between three players: from Chino Hills (California), Mumford (Tennessee) and Melbourne Beach (Florida).

How does the Powerball draw system work?

Powerball works with five main tens from a set of 69 white balls and a number called Powerball, which is taken from one of the 26 red balls. To receive the million dollar amount, it is essential to hit at least one red ball in the bet. If the player hits all six tens, he wins the record prize.

Despite delaying the realization of the contest, the lottery organization did not authorize an extension in the sale of tickets, which remains finalized. In the United States, each ticket costs US$ 2 (approximately R$ 10).