Powerball Numbers for May 18, 2022, Wednesday's Jackpot Was $101 Million

The Powerball jackpot for May 18, 2022 was $101 million, and here are the winning numbers from Wednesday night's drawing.

• First Five: 40-41-58-64-65
• Powerball: 17
• Power Play: 3x

Wednesday night's May 18, 2022 Powerball jackpot was worth $101 million, with a cash-value option worth $59.0 million. There was no grand prize winner on Wednesday. The Wednesday game did see one lucky jackpot winner, though—a ticket holder in Georgia who took home the second prize after correctly matching the first five white balls, and minus the red Powerball.

Five players matched the numbers on four white balls plus the Powerball, each of them winning $50,000. Another 147 ticket holders picked the numbers on four white balls but not the Powerball, for which each won $100. A total of 428 people correctly guessed three white balls plus the Powerball, each winning $100. A total of 9,406 people correctly guessed three white balls but not the Powerball, each winning $7.

The Powerball jackpots that have been won so far in 2022 are:

• 04/27/2022 - $454 million (Arizona)
• 02/14/2022 - $183 million (Connecticut)
• 01/05/2022 - $630 million (California and Wisconsin)

The previous winning ticket before that was sold in California on 10/04/2021 for a jackpot worth $699 million. That was only the sixth, and final, Powerball jackpot won in the 2021 calendar year.

The six Powerball jackpots won in 2021 were:

• 10/04/2021 - $699 million (California)
• 06/05/2021 - $285.6 million (Florida)
• 03/27/2021 - $235 million (Florida)
• 01/30/2021 - $33 million (New Jersey)
• 01/23/2021 - $23 million (New Jersey)
• 01/20/2021 - $731 million (Maryland)

The previous winning ticket before that was sold in New York on 09/16/2020 for a jackpot worth $94 million. That was only the seventh, and final, Powerball jackpot won in the 2020 calendar year.

The seven Powerball jackpots won in 2020 were:

• 09/16/2020 - $94 million (New York)
• 08/12/2020 - $168.5 million (Florida)
• 06/10/2020 - $22 million (Wisconsin)
• 06/03/2020 - $136 million (West Virginia)
• 04/08/2020 - $190 million (New Jersey)
• 02/12/2020 - $70 million (Michigan)
• 01/29/2020 - $397 million (Florida)

Other winners—dating back to 2019—were a $150 million ticket sold in California and an $80 million ticket sold in Michigan

How to Play Powerball

Powerball tickets, which cost $2 per play, are sold in 45 states, Washington, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ticket holders each select five numbers from one to 69 for the five white balls and a number from one to 26 for the Powerball. Players can multiply non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times by purchasing the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play. Drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.

The Prizes

"There are nine ways to win a prize in Powerball. All prizes are set cash amounts, except the Grand Prize. In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners," the Powerball website explains. The Powerball jackpot value continues to grow until it's won. "The Match 5 + Power Play prize value is always $2 million, while the 10X multiplier is only in play when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less," according to the website. Jackpot winners can receive their prize as either an annuity or a lump-sum payment. For those who choose the annuity option, the winner is guaranteed to receive 30 graduated payments over 29 years. The annual payments increase by 5 percent until the 30th and final payment, the website notes.

What Are the Odds of Winning?

The overall odds of winning a prize are one in 24.9 and the winning odds are the same in every Powerball drawing, according to the Powerball website. "Even if there are more tickets sold in a particular drawing, your odds of winning a prize are the same," the website states.