Powerball Numbers for Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016: $40 Million

LOS ALAMITOS, CA — There were no tickets sold with all six numbers in Wednesday night's drawing of the multi-state Powerball lottery and the estimated jackpot for Saturday's drawing is expected to grow to $54 million.

A ticket with five numbers, but missing the Powerball number, was sold in Texas and is worth $1 million, the Multi-State Lottery Association, which conducts the game, announced.

The numbers drawn tonight were 3, 14, 18, 25, 45 and the Powerball number was 7. The estimated jackpot was $40 million.

When was the last time a winning ticket was chosen?
The drawing was the first since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold.

What are the odds at winning Powerball?
The odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is 1 in about 293 million, according to the Powerball website. The overall chance of winning a prize is 1 in 24.87.

Where can I play?
The lottery is played in 44 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Powerball drawings can be seen on TV stations across the country.

What's my best bet at winning?
You can't win if you don't play! If you decide you want to play, you're more likely to hit the jackpot if you let the computer pick your numbers instead of choosing yourself. The Multi-State Lottery Association, which operates the Powerball game, says about 75 percent of winning tickets are selected when the numbers are chosen by a computer.

What should I do if I win?
Many lottery winners hire an attorney, financial planner or both, since most people don’t exactly know what to do when they suddenly come into such a big sum of money. Some even bring their attorney with them to claim their prize. You'll have to find one yourself, though: The lottery does not offer any counseling services or advice for winners.

You have two choices when you claim your prize: the full value paid in 30 installments over 29 years, or a one-time lump sum that is smaller than the actual total.

Then there are the taxes. The federal tax on lottery winnings is 25 percent. Then any extra income taxes like state or city would apply.

Financial experts say that if you can get more than a 3 or 4 percent return on an investment, the lump sum is actually the best way to go in the long-term.

Renee Schiavone, Image