this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2023
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The Powerball jackpot has soared to an estimated $1.04 billion after no tickets matched all six numbers in Saturday night’s drawing.

Saturday night’s drawing produced white balls 19, 30, 37, 44 and 46 and red Powerball 22.

The $1.04 billion prize – an estimated $478.2 million in cash value – is the second-largest jackpot this year, topped only by a $1.08 billion prize won on July 19 by a ticketholder in California.

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[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (24 children)

If I win I'll give everyone in this thread a million dollars.

So, if there's 60 people in the thread, everyone gets $16,667

I see you all fell for my cunning ruse. Definitely not something I figured out after I posted. Not at all.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago

You're more likely to get struck by lightning while taking a poop, so for your sake I hope you win instead.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You are of course joking. But on the infinitly tiny odds you win, and the similarly ridiculous odds you follow through, I'll comment

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

With odds like that, we can't fail. Simple rule of conservation of narration.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I and my 43 children all are pleased to be in the thread.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

But that just means the million will be divided up even more, reducing your share! ;)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Your comment implies it’s a million to each commenter

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm just messing around, we all know I won't win lol.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Too late, I’ve already bought a JetSki with your expected winnings

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I hope you win, keep your word, and the news runs a story on it afterwards thats grows the user base and specifically siphons users from Reddit. I want to see Reddit burn to the ground.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

That would actually be such an interesting way to gain users, I want to see that

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Can I get $420.69?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

I mean 16k~ is still a decent amount of money

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Thanks, pal!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Hey, free odds approaching zero is better than paid options approaching zero

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

I need money thx.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

Oooh oooh oooh! Me too! Me too!

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Goddammit... Alright, everyone. Pack it up. He already called it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago
[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 years ago (5 children)

So are PowerBall and Mega Millions now rigged to make sure that the jackpot always hits $1B before a winner is drawn?

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 years ago

Rigged in the sense that they intentionally made the odds so long as to almost ensure it would routinely go weeks and weeks without a winner. So yes, it is by design.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I imagine their sales go up fast when so-called "news" outlets (like this community) report that it's hit that level.

Never mind that it makes your already infinitesimal odds of winning even smaller, when the regular jackpot would already be a life-changing amount of money. People who only buy tickets when the jackpot goes up are just falling even harder for the scam than those who buy when the jackpot is "low".

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The odds of winning don't change based on the number of people who buy tickets.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

But the odds of sharing a prize do.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Yes. Though, that is an artifact of the rules of the payout; everyone's chances of winning are exactly the same.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I'm not American, please explain, why is the cash value only 478.2 million? Is that after taxes or something?

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 years ago (3 children)

It's not after taxes.

The "jackpot" is what you get if you select an annual annuity over 30 years.

The cash value is what you get if you want it all today.

Taxes come after.

This site explains it well: https://www.usamega.com/powerball/jackpot

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

2 things: taxes are taken from the winnings, and the jackpot quoted is the amount you would get if you picked the regular payments rather than lump sum.

The regular payments include trust fund interest/growth I think, so you get more.

It's confusing as all hell. I'd much prefer it tax free and lump sum. Tell me exactly what I get, don't dress it up to make it look better than it is!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (7 children)

The tax-free annuity payment version is by far the better deal. But some people elect to get the lump sum in cash, and you end up getting far less than half of it, esp after taxes.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (3 children)

The annuity isn't tax free. You pay taxes on that income every year just like (and in addition to) any other income you have.

Also, you could most likely beat the rate of return on those investments if you know what you're doing. But on the other hand most lottery winners won't know what they're doing. Additionally the annuity can be a stopgap to keep you from losing everything all at once.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Even if you know what you're doing, you'll probably go bankrupt after winning. Annuity is, as you said, a stopgap against stupidity.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 years ago

Yep. That's $1.04b taken from the pockets mostly people who should be trying to put it to savings, not giving away money on a pipedream. Giving it to a winner who statistically will likely have their life ruined by such a windfall.

It's goddam stupid. The "causes" the lottery pays back to, like education, should be funded by taxing those who don't need the extra money, not by duping people who desperately need every dollar they earn.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago

I wanna see a Bruce Almighty scenario with the lotto at some point in my life.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

You get three darts to throw at the balloons and if you hit all three you get a prize. No, not the giant bear. Never the giant bear.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

I could sure use the money...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

I mean, sure, why not?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago

😆 The last lottery ticket I bought was 38 years ago. I regreted throwing away a dollar it's too traumatic.

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