Powerball jackpot increases to estimated $1.5 billion

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Tuesday, January 12, 2016
VIDEO: Powerball jackpot increases to $1.5 billion
The powerball jackpot has risen again. It's now worth $1.5 billion.

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (WPVI) -- The Powerball jackpot has reached an estimated $1.5 billion, as sales push the total higher and higher ahead of Wednesday night's drawing.

The winning ticket of the January 13th drawing will take home a world record $1.5 billion annuity value or a $930 million cash prize.

Watch Wednesday night's drawing on 6abc and 6abc.com during Action News at 11.

Before rolling to a $1.3 billion jackpot on Saturday night, Powerball produced hundreds of thousands of winners across Pennsylvania - including a $1 million winner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania lottery officials said.

A billboard on I-95 displays the record-setting jackpot at stake for Wednesday night's Powerball drawing.

The $1 million winning ticket sold in Philadelphia matched the five white balls drawn, 16-19-32-34-57, but not the red Powerball 13, to win a prize of $1 million, less 25 percent federal withholding.

The retailer, Wilson's Check Cashing, 1201 E. Susquehanna Ave., Philadelphia, earns a selling bonus of $5,000.

If Wednesday's jackpot is won by a Pennsylvania player, it would become the state's 20th multi-state jackpot win. The Pennsylvania Lottery has sold 17 jackpot-winning Powerball tickets and two jackpot-winning Mega Millions tickets.

Powerball is played in 44 states as well as the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.