The "world's largest lotto prize ever offered" -- an estimated US$1.6 billion jackpot -- is now at stake in Saturday's Powerball drawing, the multi-state game operator said Friday.
The jackpot, which has a lump-sum option of an estimated US$782.4 million, "breaks the world record for the Largest National Lottery Jackpot in the Guinness World Records," the participating California Lottery tweeted.
The Guinness World Records' "Greatest jackpot in a national lottery" was set by Powerball in January 2016, when three tickets won a $1.586 billion jackpot.
Saturday's drawing will take place at 10:59 p.m. ET at the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. It will be the 40th Powerball drawing since the jackpot was last won August 3 in Pennsylvania, according to Powerball.
If no one wins, it will "tie the game record for the number of consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner," the operator said.
"This Powerball game is delivering exactly what our players want," Powerball Product Group Chair Drew Svitko said in a statement.
"We are witnessing history in the making with this $1.6 billion jackpot! What's also exciting is that this run has already created millions of winners, including nearly 100 players who have won prizes worth $1 million or more."
Powerball tickets are US$2 per play and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
