Powerball Results, Numbers for 8/5/20: Did Anyone Win the $147 Million?

Last night's Powerball jackpot was a colossal $147 million, with a cash option of $121.1 million. But was there a lucky winner of the top prize?

The winning numbers for the Powerball drawing on Wednesday, August 5 were 7, 14, 17, 57 and 65. The Powerball was 24 with the Power Play being 5x.

Nobody managed to purchase a winning ticket that matched all of those numbers, meaning that the jackpot will roll over to the next drawing on Sunday August 9, according to the Powerball website.

There was however one lucky person who purchased a ticket that matched all five white balls, but not the red Powerball, to take home the second biggest prize of $1 million. They did not purchase the additional 5x Power Play at the time, which would have quintupled the payout to a whopping $5 million.

There were a further 11 people who matched four of the white balls plus the Powerball to receive a $50,000 payout, with one of those winning tickets seeing their payout increase to $250,000 because they also purchased the additional 5x Power Play.

As the grand prize wasn't won, the jackpot has now increased to an estimated $158 million, with a cash value of $130.3 million, for the next drawing on Sunday, August 9. This jackpot could increase if sales further lottery projections, according to officials.

Before Wednesday's draw, the previous Powerball on Saturday, August 1 had the winning numbers of 6, 25, 36, 43 and 48 with the Powerball being 24 with a Power Play of 3x. There were no jackpot winners for that draw either, but three tickets purchased in California, Illinois and Oregon respectively matched all five white balls to receive a $1 million prize payout.

It has now been four months since the last Powerball jackpot was won, when a ticket purchased in New Jersey for the drawing on April 8 successfully matched all numbers to win the grand prize of $190 million. The numbers for that drawing were 2, 37, 39, 48, 54 and a Powerball of 5.

How do you play Powerball?

Powerball, along with Mega Millions, is one of the most popular lottery games in the United States. It is available to play in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The five states that do not sell lottery tickets are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

Drawings usually take place twice a week on a Wednesday and Saturday night, at 10:59 p.m. ED. Each draw is broadcast live from the lottery studio in Tallahassee, Florida.

Each ticket costs $2 per play, with players selecting five numbers from 1 to 69, in addition to one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. In certain circumstances, players can also multiply non-jackpot prizes by using the Power Play option for an additional $1.

Powerball and Mega Millions Tickets
Mega Millions and Powerball tickets sold in Texas during January 2020. Scott McDonald/Newsweek

Why is the Powerball so low?

Powerball slashed its minimum payout in half from $40 million to $20 million back in March because of the coronavirus pandemic leading to reduced sales, according to lottery officials.

Powerball Product Group Chairman and Maine Lottery Director Gregory Mineo said in a statement at the time" "Powerball players in many U.S. lottery jurisdictions are under shelter-in-place orders or recommendations, which have affected normal consumer behaviors.

"Just like other enterprises around the world that are making adjustments, we are making proactive changes to continue to offer the world's premier lottery product."

What are your chances of winning?

Powerball's official website claims that players have a 1 in 24.9 chance of winning any prize regardless of the number of participants. But the chances of winning the grand prize jackpot are astronomically higher at 1 in 292,201,338, according to the official website.

Winners can choose to either select their prize as an annuity, or for significantly less, a lump-sum payment. The annuity option sees the winner receive 30 annual payments over the space of 29 years, with each payment increasing by five percent until the 30th and final payment.

If you win a jackpot, call lottery officials at 1-800-222-0996.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer



To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go