The jackpot rolled forward, growing the pot for Monday night's chance.
Cada semana, millones de personas depositan en un boleto de dos dólares la esperanza de una transformación radical de sus vidas, un ritual moderno que mezcla el azar con el deseo humano de escapar de lo ordinario. El lunes 29 de diciembre de 2025, el pozo acumulado de Powerball en Texas alcanzó los 33 millones de dólares —con un valor en efectivo de 15.2 millones— tras quedar desierto el sorteo del sábado. A las 10:59 p.m. hora del Este, la rueda volvería a girar, recordándonos que la fortuna no distingue entre el paciente y el impulsivo, solo entre el que tiene boleto y el que no.
- El premio mayor de 33 millones de dólares sigue sin dueño tras el sorteo del sábado, donde los números ganadores —5, 20, 34, 39 y 62 con Powerball 1— no coincidieron con ningún boleto afortunado.
- La acumulación del pozo genera una presión creciente de expectativa: cada sorteo sin ganador infla el premio y multiplica la cantidad de jugadores que se suman antes del cierre.
- Los jugadores tienen hasta el momento del sorteo para adquirir boletos en gasolineras y supermercados de Texas, con opciones adicionales como Power Play y Double Play que pueden multiplicar los premios secundarios hasta 10 veces.
- Las autoridades advierten sobre una oleada de fraudes en redes sociales que usan el nombre de Powerball para solicitar pagos a cambio de premios inexistentes, recordando que ninguna lotería legítima contacta a sus ganadores de forma no solicitada.
El pozo de Powerball en Texas llegó a los 33 millones de dólares el lunes 29 de diciembre de 2025, luego de que nadie reclamara el premio mayor en el sorteo del sábado. Para quienes prefirieran el pago inmediato en lugar de la anualidad, el valor en efectivo estimado era de 15.2 millones. El sorteo estaba programado para las 10:59 p.m., hora del Este.
Los números del sábado —5, 20, 34, 39 y 62, con Powerball 1 y multiplicador Power Play de 2x— no produjeron un ganador del jackpot, aunque sí generaron miles de premios secundarios en todo el estado. Esa ausencia de ganador hizo rodar el pozo hacia adelante, engordando el premio para la noche del lunes.
Un boleto básico costaba 2 dólares. Por un dólar adicional, el jugador podía agregar Power Play, que multiplicaba los premios no mayores hasta 10 veces cuando el jackpot anual era de 150 millones o menos. Otra opción, Double Play, ofrecía por un dólar más una segunda oportunidad de ganar hasta 10 millones con los mismos números. Incluso acertar solo la bola roja de Powerball garantizaba 4 dólares, suficiente para recuperar el costo del boleto.
Los premios de hasta 600 dólares podían cobrarse directamente en los puntos de venta autorizados; los montos mayores requerían una visita a las oficinas de la lotería. El plazo para reclamar un premio variaba entre 90 días y un año según las reglas de cada estado, y solía estar impreso en el reverso del boleto. Si el jackpot quedaba sin reclamar, el dinero regresaba a las loterías participantes y se distribuía conforme a la legislación estatal.
Las autoridades aprovecharon la ocasión para advertir sobre fraudes recurrentes: publicaciones falsas en Facebook que utilizan el nombre y las imágenes de Powerball para prometer dinero a cambio de pagos previos. La lotería fue enfática: nunca contacta a los ganadores de forma no solicitada ni exige ningún pago para entregar un premio. Cualquier solicitud de dinero o datos bancarios para 'liberar' un premio es, casi con certeza, una estafa.
The Powerball jackpot in Texas had climbed to $33 million by Monday, December 29, 2025, after no one claimed the grand prize in Saturday's drawing. For players in the state willing to take the lump-sum payout instead of the annuity option, the immediate cash value stood at an estimated $15.2 million. The drawing was scheduled for 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time that evening, with results available through the official Powerball website.
Saturday's winning numbers had been 5, 20, 34, 39, and 62, with a Powerball of 1 and a Power Play multiplier of 2x. Though no one won the top prize, thousands of Texas players collected secondary prizes. The lack of a jackpot winner meant the prize pool rolled forward, growing the pot for Monday night's chance.
For those still holding tickets or planning to buy them before the deadline, the mechanics of Powerball in Texas remained straightforward. A basic ticket cost $2. Players could add Power Play for an extra dollar, which multiplied non-jackpot prizes by a factor that could reach as high as 10x—though the 10x multiplier only activated when the annuity jackpot was $150 million or less. A second option, Double Play, added another dollar and gave players a second chance to win up to $10 million using the same numbers from their original ticket. Both add-ons were popular among regular players looking to stretch their investment.
Matching every number was not required to win something. A player who hit only the red Powerball ball automatically won $4, enough to recover the cost of the ticket and stay in the game. Adding two white balls to a correct Powerball pushed the prize higher. Tickets could be purchased at gas stations and supermarkets across Texas up until drawing time, though the exact cutoff varied by retailer and location.
The source material included extensive guidance on how Powerball worked, who could play, and how to claim winnings. Tickets could be bought by anyone of legal age, regardless of citizenship or residency status, as long as they purchased them through authorized retailers in a jurisdiction that sold Powerball. The jackpot amount itself was determined by two main factors: ticket sales volume and an annuity factor tied to interest rates. Higher interest rates allowed for a higher advertised jackpot. Winners could choose between 30 annual payments or a single lump-sum cash payment, both subject to federal and state taxes.
Claiming prizes followed jurisdiction-specific rules. Amounts up to $600 could typically be collected at authorized retailers. Larger prizes required a trip to regional lottery offices or the state lottery headquarters. The deadline to claim a prize ranged from 90 days to a year, depending on the state's rules—the exact deadline was usually printed on the back of the ticket. If a jackpot went unclaimed, the money returned to participating lotteries in proportion to their ticket sales for that drawing cycle, then was distributed according to each state's laws, often funding other lottery games or general state coffers.
The material also warned against common scams. Official lotteries never contacted players unsolicited by email, phone, or social media to announce prizes. No legitimate lottery demanded payment of fees or "processing costs" to release a prize. Fraudulent posts circulated on Facebook using the Powerball name and images of real winners to promise money giveaways. Powerball clarified it did not announce personal prizes or distribute money randomly through social media except in officially designated promotions. Anyone asked to send money or banking information to claim a Powerball prize was almost certainly being defrauded.
Citações Notáveis
Matching only the red Powerball automatically wins $4, enough to recover the ticket cost and continue playing.— Powerball rules summary
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does the jackpot keep growing if people are playing?
Because on Saturday, nobody won the big prize. So all that money rolls into Monday's pot. It's like a snowball—each drawing without a winner makes the next one bigger.
So someone could have won $33 million but didn't?
Right. Thousands of people won smaller prizes—matching three numbers, four numbers, just the red ball. But the person who would have matched all five white balls and the red one? They didn't exist on Saturday.
What's the actual cash value versus the $33 million?
The $33 million is what you'd get if you took 30 annual payments. If you want it all at once, you get $15.2 million. The difference is what it costs to finance those 30 years of payments.
Why would anyone take the annuity if the cash is less?
Some people prefer the discipline of annual payments. Some think they'll spend it all at once. But most winners take the cash these days.
How much does a ticket actually cost to play?
Two dollars for the basic ticket. You can add Power Play for another dollar to multiply your winnings, or Double Play for another dollar to get a second drawing with the same numbers. So you could spend five dollars on one ticket if you wanted all the options.
And you can win money without matching all the numbers?
Yes. Match just the red Powerball and you get $4 back—you break even. Add two white balls to that and you win more. The only way you win nothing is if you match nothing at all.
What happens if someone wins but never claims it?
The money goes back to the state lottery system. If it's the jackpot, it gets split among all the participating states based on how many tickets they sold that round. Then each state uses it for other lottery games or general revenue.