The Minnesota Lottery was delayed nearly 10 hours Monday for the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot.
Sales verification problems reportedly arose after “unprecedented lottery interest.”
“The delay was necessary to confirm the Powerball drawing could be conducted securely and accurately,” lottery officials said. “At no time was the integrity of the process compromised.”
Monday’s Powerball drawing was supposed to be at 10:59 p.m. ET, but the winners were not announced until 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
A single California ticket matched all six numbers: 10, 33, 41, 47 and 56, with the red Powerball 10.
The Multi-State Lottery Association told The Associated Press that all 48 participating lotteries were required to submit their sales and play data before Powerball numbers could be drawn.
A similar issue delayed a drawing last month, according to Nexstar’s WEHT.
In April, Nexstar’s WJW reported a Powerball delay because a participating lottery required extra time for security protocols. A similar situation occurred this previous summer when a Powerball drawing was delayed to allow lotteries time for the same reason.
Monday’s jackpot is the largest for Powerball, the largest in the U.S., and the second lottery to surpass $1 billion this year.
July’s Mega Millions jackpot reached $1.34 billion, awarded to two Illinois winners. According to the AP, the prize ranks as the fourth largest in U.S. history.
The jackpot prize for Wednesday’s draw has reverted to an estimated $20 million.
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