Powerball Delays Record $1.9bn Drawing Due to Security Protocols

The American lottery game offered in 45 states, Powerball, delayed its drawing planned for Monday night. The record $1.9 billion drawing was delayed and the California Lottery released a statement outlining the reason for the delay.

Powerball Drawing Delayed

The Lottery said via Twitter that the delay in the drawing wasn’t on its side but rather an issue with another state. According to the statement, the Lottery needed more time to complete the mandatory security protocols. At the same time, it said that all 48 lotteries need to comply with the security measures before the drawing of the Powerball can be started. In addition, the Lottery pointed out that once the mandatory security protocols are completed, the “drawing will be performed under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors.”

“Tonight’s Powerball drawing has been delayed due to a participating lottery needing extra time to complete the required security protocols. Powerball has strict security requirements that must be met by all 48 lotteries before a drawing can occur,“

reads a statement released by the California Lottery

An updated statement released by the Lottery points out that there is one state that is still processing “sales and play data.” Ensuring a fair drawing and meeting all security requirements that protect the Powerball is an ongoing priority for the Lottery.

Considering the unexpected delay, the Lottery said that the official results are expected on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. The Lottery urged all players to keep their Powerball tickets. At the time of writing, accessing the Lottery’s website reveals a message that it is temporarily unavailable due to high demand or maintenance downtime.

Largest Powerball Jackpot to Date

Last week, the Powerball jackpot survived after hitting approximately $1.6 million. Now, with approximately $1.9 billion, this is the largest jackpot since the launch of Powerball. The second-highest jackpot from the leading lottery game was $1.58 billion and was won back in January 2016. If the $1.9 billion Powerball jackpot is won, the lucky winner will have the option to take a staggering $929 million in cash. Alternatively, the lucky player can also collect approximately $63 million annually for the next 30 years.

Powerball was launched three decades ago back in 1992. The lottery game’s drawings were held twice a week, on Saturdays and Wednesdays, but a third weekly drawing on Mondays was added last year in August. The drawing itself takes place at the Florida Lottery’s headquarters in Tallahassee every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evening at 10:59 PM Eastern Time.