Before the day is done, some lucky Powerball player could be $478 million richer.
The drawing, set for 11 p.m. ET Saturday, is not just the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history — it’s the eighth-largest lottery prize ever in U.S. history.
The winner — or winners — would have the option of taking the $478 million prize spread out over 30 years or opt for a lump-sum payment of $330.6 million before federal taxes.
Most winners, like a Florida couple that came forward in February to claim their portion of the largest-ever $1.58 billion Powerball prize, go for the latter option.
CNBC reported earlier this week that the jackpot has rolled over 23 times since it was reset to its starting sum of $40 million for a drawing on May 11.
Powerball lottery tickets, which sell for $2 apiece, can be purchased everywhere the game is played. That's 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The odds of buying the winning ticket are 1 in 292 million, according to Powerball.
