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| Record $1.6bn US Powerball lottery has three winners | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| There are at least three winning tickets in the US for the record $1.6bn (£1.1bn) lottery jackpot, officials have said. | |
| The winning tickets in the Powerball jackpot were sold in California, Tennessee and Florida. | |
| The previous draw was the 19th without a grand prize winner, which requires all six numbers to match. | The previous draw was the 19th without a grand prize winner, which requires all six numbers to match. |
| Officials said it would take several hours to know if there are any other winning tickets. | |
| The identity of the winners was not yet known. | |
| Thousands of people queued up outside shops across the US on Wednesday, hoping to defy the odds of 292.2 million to one. | |
| The winning ticket in California was sold at a 7-Eleven store in Chino Hills, a suburb east of Los Angeles, California Lottery tweeted. Television pictures showed a cheering crowd gathered at the shop after the result was announced. | |
| The winners will share a prize of $1.586 billion. They can collect their winnings in annual payments over 29 years, or opt to share a lump-sum payment of $930m. | |
| The government would also share in the big prize, however, levying a 39.6% federal income tax on the winners, plus any taxes that the winners' home states may impose. | The government would also share in the big prize, however, levying a 39.6% federal income tax on the winners, plus any taxes that the winners' home states may impose. |
| Follow the money | Follow the money |
| Is this really the biggest? | Is this really the biggest? |
| The current $1.5bn jackpot is a whopping $600m more than previous record holder. A March 2012 drawing of the US lottery Mega Millions had a $656m prize shared by three winners. In Europe, the largest lottery prizes have been lower than in the US but the jackpots are given as a lump sum rather than as an annuity and most countries do not tax the winnings. The biggest European prize was won in July 2011 by a ticketholder in the UK. That person took home a lump sum of $260m (£161.7m). | The current $1.5bn jackpot is a whopping $600m more than previous record holder. A March 2012 drawing of the US lottery Mega Millions had a $656m prize shared by three winners. In Europe, the largest lottery prizes have been lower than in the US but the jackpots are given as a lump sum rather than as an annuity and most countries do not tax the winnings. The biggest European prize was won in July 2011 by a ticketholder in the UK. That person took home a lump sum of $260m (£161.7m). |
| Where do Powerball profits go? | Where do Powerball profits go? |
| Back to the participating states. For example, New Jersey has sold more than $50m in tickets during this current jackpot craze and lottery officials said about $20m of that would return to the state. More than 15 states use the profits to fund education. However, schools aren't expecting a huge windfall. California officials estimate the lottery money accounts for about 1% of the state's education budget. In Wisconsin, the profits go towards lowering property taxes. | Back to the participating states. For example, New Jersey has sold more than $50m in tickets during this current jackpot craze and lottery officials said about $20m of that would return to the state. More than 15 states use the profits to fund education. However, schools aren't expecting a huge windfall. California officials estimate the lottery money accounts for about 1% of the state's education budget. In Wisconsin, the profits go towards lowering property taxes. |
| How did the jackpot get so big? | How did the jackpot get so big? |
| No one has won the draw since 4 November. The prize is based on ticket sales so high jackpots usually create a snowball effect until a winning combination is picked. A new format introduced in October makes these massive jackpots more likely, meaning more records could be broken in future. | No one has won the draw since 4 November. The prize is based on ticket sales so high jackpots usually create a snowball effect until a winning combination is picked. A new format introduced in October makes these massive jackpots more likely, meaning more records could be broken in future. |
| The states that don't play Powerball | The states that don't play Powerball |
| The world's (other) largest lotteries | The world's (other) largest lotteries |
| Six of the 50 US states do not participate in the lottery, so some residents drive hours to buy tickets. | Six of the 50 US states do not participate in the lottery, so some residents drive hours to buy tickets. |
| Alabama, Mississippi and Utah cite religious reasons, while Alaska has said it would not be economical in such a sparsely populated state. | Alabama, Mississippi and Utah cite religious reasons, while Alaska has said it would not be economical in such a sparsely populated state. |
| In Hawaii, proposed legislation to start it fails consistently and in Nevada the lottery is rejected because the state's world famous casinos prefer not to have competition. | In Hawaii, proposed legislation to start it fails consistently and in Nevada the lottery is rejected because the state's world famous casinos prefer not to have competition. |