Those impatient for the record-breaking $1.9 billion Powerball jackpot were left waiting after a “technical glitch” delayed the draw.
Announced on social media Monday night, the delay was attributed to a state’s lottery not having enough time to complete security checks.
“Today’s Powerball drawing has been delayed because a participating lottery requires additional time to complete required safety protocols,” the California Lottery said after announcing the delay.
“Powerball has strict security requirements that must be met by all 48 lotteries before a drawing can take place,” the lottery agency continued.
The $1.9 billion prize is the largest prize in the game’s history, worth several hundred million dollars
Monday night’s delay came at an awkward time for many Americans who were impatient to know if they’d won the $1.9 billion prize
“When necessary security protocols are completed, the drawing will be conducted under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors,” the California Lottery tweet continued.
“The winning numbers will be published as soon as they are available. Thanks for your patience.’
It is not known which state or system is causing the issue, but at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, the California lottery system shared more information about the situation.
‘The #Powerball draw is still being delayed. There is a problem in another state. It’s not due to delays in the California Lottery. There is no estimated time for the drawing at this time,” the lottery system Golden State said.
Twitter users were keen to take the opportunity to point out both the funny and the “suspicious” aspects of late Monday night’s delay.
“Post which statement YOU MUST BE DAMAGED,” one person said.
“If it comes down to someone winning and you just don’t have the money say it’s ok I promise,” wrote another.
The California Lottery was among the first to declare the “glitch” Monday night
The California lottery system said one state failed to complete proper security checks before the draw
“Okay, what if you just told the rest of us what the numbers are, and we all promise this state won’t find out,” one Twitter user replied to the California Lottery.
“I’m guessing Florida. They don’t want to admit it because that’s where they do the drawing and it would be sketchy if they had a FL winner,” wrote another.
The Powerball website still states that the drawing is scheduled to take place on Monday, November 7 at 10:59 am Eastern Standard Time and that the results are “pending.”
In April, a Powerball draw was delayed by more than four hours, apparently also due to a “glitch” that WJW said required more time to meet proper protocols.
The prize was increased to $1.9 billion after no jackpot winner was announced on Saturday
Similarly, WCBD reported last summer that a Powerball drawing was postponed to give several lotteries extra time.
Monday’s prize is the largest since 2016 at $1.586 billion and has an estimated payout value of $929.1 million.
The amount was increased after no one came forward with a winning ticket in Saturday’s $1.6 billion game.
So far there have been 40 draws without a winner, which has taken the prize to new heights.
To win the $1.9 billion, one person must match all six numbers. The last time a win was made was on August 3rd when a Pennsylvania resident won $206.9 million.
As the prize gets bigger, more people play, which also increases the amount included in the prize, and the pattern continues until someone wins
Powerball tickets cost $2 per game and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
Winners can either choose to receive a series of payments spanning nearly three decades and receive nearly the $1.9 billion promised, or cash out on a single payment that will be heavily taxed.
If multiple people win, the prize must be shared.
A 24 percent federal tax is imposed on gambling winnings before the winner can walk away with a one-time cashout of approximately $929.1 million in prize money.
According to Powerball, the odds of winning the $1.9 billion jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million
This would immediately reduce that amount by $223 million for a single award winner who would take home $706 million, according to Forbes.
Then another $97 million will be drawn for the highest federal marginal rate of 37 percent, bringing the prize total down to $470 million.
Those who choose to make payments over about 29 years would expect to see $50 million a year. But the federal tax would reduce that amount to $31.5 million annually, Forbes reported.
Depending on the federal state of the winner, even more money could be collected.