- The $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot is up for grabs, with the next drawing on Wednesday.
- Players are more likely to get killed by fireworks than win, but they still purchase tickets.
- Psychologists explain why people think they have a shot at winning, despite near-impossible odds.
The Powerball jackpot soared to $1.2 billion after no winners were declared on Saturday’s drawing, making it the 3rd largest Powerball prize ever.
The pot has a lump-sum cash value of $551.7 million before tax, according to Powerball. The next drawing is set for Wednesday at 10:59 p.m. ET.
Those who enter have about a 1 in 292.2 million chance of taking home the prize, according to Powerball.
While it may seem silly to think that we could actually win the lottery, Americans are quite fond of throwing their hat in the ring. The US spent around $98.1 billion on traditional lottery tickets in 2021 — a number that climbs to $105 billion when we consider electronic lottery games, according to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries.
It’s not just that we’re curious. Many of us actually think we have a shot. Here are a few psychological explanations as to why.
