The jackpot for Wednesday night's Powerball drawing was already the largest in the game's history at $425 million but Tuesday morning, lottery officials announced that the prize pool had increased.
Wednesday's drawing will now be for a $500 million jackpot with a $327 million cash option, according to an email from Maryland Lottery spokeswoman Erica Palmisano. The news comes after 15 straight Powerball drawings without a winner.
There have been two jackpot winners in our state since Maryland started to participate in January 2010: in Dec. 2011 an anonymous Pennsylvania couple bought a $128 million jackpot winner in Elkton and in Sept. 2011, an anonymous couple bought a $108 million winning ticket in Abingdon, according to an email from lottery officials.
The last huge jackpot and previous record-holder—a $365 million prize—was claimed in Nebraska back in 2006.
The next drawing will take place on Wednesday at 11:22 p.m. on WBAL-TV, Channel 11 and will be rebroadcast on MPT. Powerball is a lottery game played in 42 states including Maryland.
What would you do with $425 million? Tell us in the comments.