UPDATE: Powerball at $1.5 Billion, Hours Left to Play

CONCORD, NH - The New Hampshire Powerball jackpot has reached more than $1.5 billion with a cash payout option of about $930 million (before taxes).

Powerball has gone the last 19 drawings without a winner. Standing at $300 million for the drawing on Dec. 30, 2015, the Powerball jackpot has more than tripled in just two weeks. Prior to Saturday’s drawing, the largest Powerball jackpot was $590 million, which was won in May 2013 in Florida.

Powerball tickets are on sale at more than 1,250 retailers in New Hampshire until 9:50 p.m. Wednesday. Powerball tickets cost $2 per play. Drawings are held Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11 p.m.

If you’re looking for a place to play, click on the Where to Play link.

What should winners do?

So what should you do if you win the lottery? Alexa von Tobel, CEO of the online financial planning website LearnVest, offered a few tips to Patch from a financial planning standpoint.

Sign the ticket: The most important step ensures you claim the ticket as your own.

Maintain anonymity: In many states, von Tobel says, you have a whole year to claim the prize.

“If you let your name be released to the public record, a swarm of people will almost immediately descend on you, legitimate and not, trying to make a grab for your business,” she said.

“Some past lottery winners have even felt the need for police escorts, have received threats and have been tempted to run away or leave their hometowns because of the sheer number of people who “want a piece of them.”

Assemble a financial planning team: “You must decide whether including whether to take a lump sum or an annuity,” she said. “There are many pros and cons to weigh: including estate taxes, how much money you’ll ultimately make, whether you’ll be able to handle it all at once, etc.”

Wait six months before making any major decisions: “It’s all too easy to blow through those millions,” von Tobel said. “In fact, according to a 2015 study by the Camelot Group, 44 percent of winners spend their entire winnings within five years.”

Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this report.