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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Powerball jackpot tops $400 million for 1st time in months

In this Jan. 13, 2016, file photo, a clerk at a convenience store pulls Powerball tickets from a printer for a customer in Tampa, Fla. (Chris O'Meara / Associated Press)
Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Powerball jackpot has climbed above $400 million for the first time in nearly three months.

The top prize for Wednesday night’s drawing will be an estimated $403 million if paid over 29 years or $244 million in cash. Winners then would have to pay taxes on their winnings.

The game’s six numbers will be drawn at 10:59 p.m. eastern time. Five white balls are drawn from a drum with 69 balls and a red ball is drawn from a drum with 26 balls.

Powerball is played in 44 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are incredibly small, at one in 292.2 million.

If there is no winner, the prize will increase before the next drawing Saturday night.