Photo: Getty Images
A technical issue with the verification process in Minnesota is responsible for the delay in the record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot drawing being confirmed earlier this week, according to lottery officials.
Results from the record-setting Monday (November 7) night drawing were pending Tuesday (November 8) morning before finally being revealed at around 10:00 a.m. ET.
“After unprecedented lottery interest, Minnesota’s sales verification system caused a processing delay,” the Minnesota Lottery said in a statement shared on its website. “The delay was necessary to confirm the Powerball drawing could be conducted securely and accurately. At no time was the integrity of the process compromised.”
The Minnesota Lottery said it uses a two-step verification process in which an initial vendor prints and records ticket transactions and a second vendor checks their work for accuracy.
On Monday night, the systems couldn't communicate properly, which made it impossible to "balance" the data and confirm that each ticket had a fair chance of winning, an issue that has occurred previously, but is typically solved "within an hour," according to lottery officials.
“Powerball requires all 48 participating lotteries to submit their sales and play data prior to the winning numbers being selected. Once Powerball receives the outstanding submission, the drawing can proceed,” the Multi-State Lottery Association said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press prior to the numbers being revealed.
The association initially issued a separate statement to the AP confirming the delay nearly three hours after Monday's Powerball drawing.
On Tuesday, the association shared a new statement acknowledging that it was “in communication with the lottery throughout the night as it works to resolve the issue," according to the AP.
“Like the rest of America, Powerball is eager to hold its drawing for the world record jackpot, however, protecting the integrity of the draw is of upmost importance, even if that means a further delay,” the statement said.
A ticket purchased in California matched all six numbers to win the estimated grand prize of $2.04 billion ($997.6 million), the largest jackpot offered in U.S. lottery history, according to the official Powerball website.
Additionally, one player in Florida matched the five white ball numbers to win $2 million with the Power Play option, while 22 winners from 16 states matched the five white ball numbers to win $1 million.
Results from Monday's Powerball game are listed below:
NUMBERS: 10-33-41-47-56
POWERBALL: 10
POWER PLAY: 2x
Monday's Powerball jackpot was worth an estimated $1.9 billion ($929.1 cash value) -- the largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history -- after zero players matched all six numbers during the $1.6 billion drawing on Saturday (November 5) night.
The $1.586 billion ($983.5 million cash value) Powerball drawing on January 13, 2016 set the previous record for the world's largest jackpot for both cash value and annuity.
Three Mega Millions games have also exceeded $1 billion.
The Powerball jackpot reset to $20 million after a player in Pennsylvania won the $205.9 million jackpot on June 30.
Three tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee won the $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot in January 2016, which set the record for the world's largest jackpot (cash value and annuity) and was the ninth largest cash value per ticket.
Mega Millions' jackpot reached $1.337 billion on Friday, July 29, 2022, before a player in Illinois matched all six numbers. The jackpot was the second largest cash value ticket in lottery history.
The Powerball and Mega Millions games previously offered a combined jackpot of more than $1.7 billion in January 2021.
Both jackpots increase during each following game until there's a jackpot winning ticket matching all six numbers drawn, which includes the additional Mega Millions Gold Ball or Powerball in each respective game.