Why Did the Powerball Jackpot Get Delayed? $1.9 Billion on the Line

If you're feeling confident that you're about to become a billionaire, few things are likely to be more annoying for you than anything that delays that from happening. It only makes sense, then, that millions of people were annoyed by the news that the Powerball drawing to determine the winning numbers for a $1.9 billion jackpot had been delayed.

So, why did the Powerball drawing get delayed and when is the next drawing? Keep reading to find out!

According to lottery officials, the drawing for the Powerball was delayed because a participating lottery had trouble processing sales. “Powerball requires all 48 participating lotteries to submit their sales and play data prior to the winning numbers being selected. Once Powerball receives the outstanding submission, the drawing can proceed," the Multi-State Lottery Association said in a statement.

The drawing was supposed to take place at 10:59 p.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 7, but the association explained to the Associated Press that they have a policy of never disclosing which lottery is having trouble processing sales.

“Like the rest of America, Powerball is eager to hold its drawing for the world record jackpot, however, protecting the integrity of the draw is of upmost importance, even if that means a further delay,” the statement explained.

The delay is only expected to postpone the drawing for a single day. The next drawing is scheduled for Nov. 8 and will be posted to the Powerball website and YouTube channel. Anyone who has purchased tickets will need to hold onto them, according to the association's statement.

The $1.9 billion jackpot is the biggest ever to be awarded, and it's $400 million larger than the previous record jackpot. The jackpot will continue to grow until someone claims the prize money. The jackpot started at just $20 million in August and has since grown to this massive sum as the lottery has gone three months without a single winner. Only four jackpots in the history of Powerball have ever crossed the $1 billion mark.

Although interest in Powerball always increases as the size of the jackpot grows, the 1 in nearly 300 million odds of winning the jackpot mean that it's possible no one will win the massive jackpot this time around. That would push the drawing for Wednesday's jackpot past $2 billion for the first time ever.

There have now been more than 40 drawings without a winner, and while that may seem strange, the long odds of the Powerball mean that it's distinctly possible for many drawings to occur without a single winner. While winning may seem like a long shot, you can at least be comforted in the knowledge that part of your ticket is going to money for state programs.

If someone does win in the Nov. 8 drawing, that can either claim an annuity which involves annual payments over 29 years that equal $1.9 billion, or take a lump sum that amounts to $929 million. Most people wind up taking the lump sum when they win.