Winning Powerball Numbers for Wednesday, May 3, 2017: Check Your Tickets

The growing Powerball jackpot is estimated at $130 million for the Wednesday night drawing. Though much larger jackpots have happened in the past, that's not chump change. The cash payout on May 3 would have been an estimated at $80.1 million.

Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Pacific time.

No ticket was sold matching all six numbers in Wednesday evening's multi-state Powerball game, and the jackpot for Saturday's draw is expected to grow to $147 million.

Wednesday evening's draw was the ninth since the last time someone won the jackpot.

No known tickets were sold matching all five numbers but without the Powerball number, according to lottery officials.

The record in the game was a $1.6 billion drawing in January 2016, which was won by a group of Tennessee workers. And just two months ago, on Feb. 22, a lucky player in Indiana won the $435 Powerball jackpot, the 10th largest in the game's history.

The numbers drawn in Wednesday May 3, multi-state Powerball game are:
17, 18, 49, 59, 66 and the Powerball number is 9.

Wednesday's jackpot is $130 million..

Each ticket costs $2. Find out where you can buy your Powerball tickets here.

How Do You Play Powerball?

The Powerball game is played by matching all five white balls in any order and the red Powerball number. The odds of picking the correct Powerball grand prize numbers are one in 292,201,338.

If you still want to take a chance — someone has to win, right? — you have a better chance of hitting the jackpot if you let the computer pick your numbers. 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.

The lottery game is played in 44 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball draws can be seen on hundreds of TV stations nationwide. It may also be available on cable or your mobile device. The draws are also posted on YouTube and on our site. Where to watch the Powerball drawing on TV.

Claiming, Safeguarding Powerball Winnings
So, what should you do if you win the big prize? 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 so much money. Some even bring their lawyer with them to claim their prize. 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.
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