The biggest lottery jackpot prize ever could be won on Bonfire Night in the US, with an estimated $1.6bn (£1.3bn) up for grabs in the Powerball game.
The top prize has not been won for three months, with 39 rollovers pushing the jackpot to a higher amount than when three Powerball players in California, Florida and Tennessee shared $1.586bn (£1.398bn) in 2016. The odds of landing the big one are 292.2million to one.
Winners of the Powerball, though, have a choice to either spread those winnings over 29 years, with an annual payment each year, or opt for the cash prize instead, which stands at an estimated $782.4m (£689.4m). Almost all previous winners have gone down the cash prize route, although financial advisers say that could be a mistake.
The total cost of construction for the world’s tallest building the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai at 2,717ft was $1.5bn, so you could build a replica and still have a bit of spare change.
The jackpot is played in 45 US states, as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Utah, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska and Alabama do not take part for various reasons, from concerns about the impact on low-income families to a desire not to compete with existing local gaming operations.
In the UK, the EuroMillions draw was worth a ‘paltry’ £139m in comparison, with the winning numbers being 2, 11, 37, 45, 47. The Lucky Stars were 2 and 3.
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