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Powerball's jackpot has climbed to $1 billion, putting one of the game's largest prizes ever up for grabs and drawing players from both sides of the Atlantic.With no jackpot winner in the previous drawing, the grand prize for Wednesday, Aug. 12, is now worth an estimated $1 billion, or $433.1 million before taxes in a lump-sum cash option. It's the sixth-largest Powerball jackpot in the lottery's history.The milestone comes as Powerball opens the game to a new audience overseas. Players in the United Kingdom can now buy tickets and compete for the same jackpot as Americans, potentially adding millions of new participants.What are the Powerball jackpot numbers for Wednesday, Aug. 12?The winning numbers for the Wednesday, Aug. 12, Powerball drawing are 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and the Powerball is 9. The "Power Play" multiplier is 2x.Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and can be watched live on the game's official website.What are the odds of winning the grand prize?The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.For perspective, you're more likely to:Flip heads 28 times in a rowBe struck by lightningBe hit by a meteoriteHave natural quadrupletsOne estimate found you're more than 19,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than win the Powerball jackpot.Largest Powerball jackpots in history$2.04 billion (California, Nov. 7, 2022)$1.817 billion (Arkansas, Dec. 24, 2025)$1.787 billion (Missouri and Texas, Sept. 6, 2025)$1.765 billion (California, Oct. 11, 2023)$1.586 billion (California, Florida and Tennessee, Jan. 13, 2016)$1.326 billion (Oregon, April 6, 2024)$1.08 billion (California, July 19, 2023)$1 billion (Aug. 12, 2026)$842.4 million (Michigan, Jan. 1, 2024)$768.4 million (Wisconsin, March 27, 2019)$758.7 million (Massachusetts, Aug. 23, 2017)How to play PowerballIn the United States, Powerball tickets cost $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Players choose five white ball numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. For an additional $1, players can add Power Play, which multiplies most non-jackpot prizes.Anyone who meets the legal age requirement where tickets are sold can buy a ticket, regardless of U.S. citizenship or residency status.This story has been updated with new information.Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
