2009 Press Releases

August 18, 2009

$250M POWERBALL® JACKPOT BECOMES WORLD'S LARGEST
Hot Lotto continues historic rise as Delaware Lottery calls for responsible play

Dover, DE --Most First State residents are looking to cool off during these dog days of summer, but others couldn't be happier that two Delaware Lottery jackpot games are heating up. The current POWERBALL® jackpot of a projected $250 million makes it the world's largest estimated annuity prize. HOT LOTTO®, another Multi-State Lottery Association game, is enjoying an impressive run of its own and now boasts its second-largest jackpot ever at $16.4 million. The Delaware Lottery reminds players to enjoy both games responsibly and play within their means.

"It's a good time to offer a reminder that it takes only one ticket to win either of these Lottery games, no matter how large a particular jackpot gets," said Lottery Director Wayne Lemons. "Every game ticket offers the same chance of winning the top prize, and the Lottery urges players to be responsible and spend only what they can comfortably afford."

The current Powerball jackpot run began July 1, and Wednesday night's draw will be the 15th in the run. The quarter billion dollar jackpot now ranks in the top 10 of all time for the game. There have already been approximately 10 million winning tickets in this run, but a perfect match has remained elusive. The one-time cash option equates to $124.8 million.

Meanwhile, Hot Lotto's nearly unprecedented jackpot ($10.4 million cash) is adding more fuel to the fire. The game's current jackpot run started March 4 and there have already been 48 draws in the run. The largest Hot Lotto jackpot ever claimed dates from Jan. 13, 2007, when an Iowa winner took home $19.82 million.

There have already been a total of 2,056,905 winners of all prizes in this Hot Lotto run with 58 winners of $10,000 and 17 winners of $30,000 thanks to the Sizzler option. For an additional $1, players can triple their payout if they win a set cash prize by adding the Hot Lotto Sizzler option. Several local players have already hit for $10,000 or more during the runs, and some have already stepped forward to claim their winnings.

The Delaware Lottery reminds players that prizes must be claimed within one year from the date of the drawing.

Powerball tickets are sold in 30 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands, and Hot Lotto tickets are sold in 13 states and the nation's capital.

Since the start of operations in 1975, the Delaware Lottery has contributed more than $3 billion to the state's General Fund to help finance needed state services that benefit everyone in Delaware. The Lottery offers a variety of games: POWERBALL®, HOT LOTTO®, MULTI-WIN LOTTO, PLAY 3, PLAY 4, and assorted Instant Games. Delaware Lottery game and promotional details are available at delottery.com, at licensed retailers, and from the Lottery's office in Dover.

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