Lucky player in Washington wins US$747 million Powerball prize

Powerball tickets are shown outside of a a liquor store Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in Fremont, Calif. (AP / Marcio Jose Sanchez)

DES MOINES, Iowa -

A single winning ticket for a US$754.6 million Powerball jackpot was sold in a Seattle suburb.

The winning numbers drawn Monday night were 05, 11, 22, 23, 69 and the Powerball 07.

The ticket was sold in Auburn, Washington, about 30 miles (50 kilometres) south of Seattle, KOMO-TV reported Tuesday. Washington's lottery officials were expected to release further information later Tuesday, including details of the outlet that sold the ticket.

Powerball officials said in a statement early Tuesday that a single ticket matched all six numbers and that ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than an earlier US$747 million estimate.

The full jackpot is for a winner opting for an annuity distributed in one immediate but partial payout followed by additional payments over 29 years that increase by 5% annually. The winner also can opt for a one-time cash payment of US$407.2 million.

Both prizes available are the amounts before taxes, Powerball said.

The estimated jackpot for the next drawing scheduled for Wednesday is US$20 million, according to the lottery's website.

Monday night's win was the first Powerball jackpot win since Nov. 19. That winless streak allowed the prize to grow larger and larger until it became the ninth-largest in U.S. history.

Higher interest rates have allowed annuity payments to increase compared with earlier jackpots, when rates were lower. Most winners prefer the immediate cash prize.

The game's abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to build big prizes that draw more players. That strategy certainly has worked recently; Someone in Maine won a US$1.35 billion Mega Millions prize in January and a California player hit a record US$2.04 billion Powerball jackpot last November. No one has claimed either of those prizes.

Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.