Why Powerball Winning Numbers For Saturday May 5 Were Delayed

Nobody won Saturday's $215 Powerball prize after an unexplained technical glitch delayed the drawing nearly 40 minutes. The cash amount would have paid an estimated $127.7 million to the lucky winner.

Powerball officials issued a statement Monday, after facing backlash from loyal players on social media who asked what they problem was that resulted in the lengthy delay. "Powerball has strict security requirements that must be met by all 47 lotteries that sell the game prior to a drawing. During last Saturday’s drawing, one jurisdiction needed additional time to complete the required security protocols," the statement said. "The Powerball drawing was delayed by 35 minutes, and recorded video of the drawing was subsequently posted to Powerball.com and the Powerball YouTube channel."

The winning Powerball numbers for Saturday, May 5, are: 14, 29, 36, 57, 61, and the Powerball of 17.

The drawing of the Powerball numbers was delayed about 35 minutes. At 11:40 p.m. ET Saturday the Powerball website said results were pending, but had posted no numbers; they went up a few minutes later. The Powerball app for cell phones had a message posted that said the May 5 drawing was delayed for more than 40 minutes.

"Because of a technical problem tonight, we are unable to bring you the Powerball drawing at this time," said drawing host Sam Arlen, reports USAToday.

Arlen did not eloborate the technical problem that delayed the drawing. He added that Powerball "takes pride in the strict standards of this game, and our rules require that the drawing be delayed until we can assure that all game procedures have been successfully completed."

The Powerball website made no update or mention of a problem. Where the winning numbers for Saturday night are posted, it said "Results Pending" for roughly 40 minutes, before finally posting the numbers.

What time are the winning Powerball numbers drawn? Numbers are selected every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Eastern time.

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.

Powerball tickets cost $2 each, and are sold at thousands of Lottery retailers. Find out where you can buy your Powerball tickets here.

In most states, ticket sales cut off at least an hour before the drawing, but a state may cut off sales earlier, such as Illinois, which ends sales three hours before the drawing. In Maryland and New Jersey, ticket sales end at 9:59 p.m.; in Virginia, they close at 10 p.m. Check with your state lottery for the sales cut-off time.

The record in the game was a $1.6 billion drawing in January 2016, which was shared by three winners in Florida, Tennessee and California; that was followed by the Aug. 23, 2017, win of $758 million, the second largest Powerball jackpot in the game's history.

The largest Powerball jackpots ever are as follows:

• $1.586 billion, Jan. 13, 2016
• $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017
• $590.5 million, May 18, 2013
• $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012
• $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015
• $559.7 million, Jan. 6, 2018
• $487.0 million, July 30, 2016
• $456 million, March 17, 2018
• $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013
• $447.8 million, June 10, 2017
• $435.3 million, Feb. 22, 2017

The January 2016 record Powerball jackpot was worth nearly $1.6 billion. But Americans will still drop by the nearest convenience store with dreams of cash and buy a ticket. The billion dollar-plus prize won in the Jan. 13, 2016, drawing was the largest lotto jackpot awarded in U.S. history and was split by three winners. In the summer of 2016, a New Hampshire player won a $478 million prize; the June 10 win of $447 million was the eighth-largest jackpot in the game's history.

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.

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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 125 TV stations nationwide. It may also be available on cable or your mobile device. Drawing shows are also posted to Powerball.com under the video section and to YouTube.

Claiming, Safeguarding Winnings

So, what should you do if you capture the Powerball jackpot? 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 financial 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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Patch file photo courtesy of Powerball