If you were hoping to wake up a multimillionaire this morning, I've got some news. Nobody actually hit the grand prize.
People are constantly asking what state won the Powerball last night, but for the drawing on Monday, January 12, 2026, the answer is a big, fat zero. No state. No single ticket matched all six numbers to take home the $141 million jackpot.
It’s kinda a bummer, but it’s how these things go. The odds are about 1 in 292.2 million. Honestly, you've got a better chance of being struck by lightning while being eaten by a shark.
The Winning Numbers and Who Actually Won Something
Even though the big one didn't drop, there was still plenty of action. The winning numbers were 5, 27, 45, 56, 59 and the red Powerball was 4. The Power Play multiplier was 2x.
While no one won the jackpot, a lucky player in Florida is having a very different morning than the rest of us. They matched all five white balls—missing only the red Powerball—to win a cool $1 million.
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If they had spent the extra dollar on the Power Play, they would’ve doubled that to $2 million. Still, a million dollars in Florida isn't exactly chump change.
Other states saw some decent secondary wins too.
- Virginia: A player in Suffolk just claimed a $100,000 prize from a previous draw, and the state's New Year's Raffle has been minting millionaires lately.
- West Virginia: No jackpot there, but the Lotto America drawing also happened last night with no grand prize winner.
- Maryland: They had a string of $50,000 winners over the last week, proving that even if you don't hit the "big big" one, you can still buy a very nice truck.
What Happens Now? The Jackpot is Climbing
Since nobody won, the jackpot is doing exactly what we want it to do: rolling over.
The estimated jackpot for the next drawing on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, has already jumped to $156 million. The cash option is sitting at roughly $70.5 million.
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That's a lot of money.
Usually, when the jackpot is under $200 million, the "lottery fever" hasn't quite hit the general public yet. You don't see the massive lines at gas stations or the office pools starting up just yet. But once it crosses that $500 million mark? That's when things get wild.
We actually just came off a massive win recently. On December 24, 2025, a single ticket in Arkansas hit a staggering $1.82 billion jackpot. That reset everything.
Why Does No One Ever Win?
It feels like that sometimes, doesn't it?
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The game is designed to be hard. Like, incredibly hard. The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) tweaked the rules a few years back to make the jackpot harder to hit but the smaller prizes easier to win.
They did this specifically so the jackpots would grow into these billion-dollar monsters that dominate the news. It's basically a marketing tactic that works perfectly. We see a billion dollars, we buy a ticket.
If you're playing, just remember that the "Double Play" option is a separate drawing. Last night’s Double Play numbers were 11, 23, 24, 54, and 56 with a Powerball of 5. It costs an extra $1, but it gives you another chance to win up to $10 million with those same numbers.
Practical Steps for the Next Drawing
If you’re planning on getting in for Wednesday's $156 million draw, here is what you actually need to do to not mess it up:
- Sign the back of your ticket immediately. If you lose it and it's unsigned, anyone who finds it can claim the prize. It’s a "bearer instrument." That means whoever holds it, owns it.
- Check your tickets with the app. Don't just trust your eyes at 6:00 AM. Use the official lottery app in your state to scan the barcode.
- Know your deadlines. In most states, you have 180 days to claim a prize. Some give you a year. If you wait 181 days, that money goes back to the state to fund things like K-12 education or environmental projects.
- Decide on the Lump Sum vs. Annuity. Most people take the cash, but the annuity (30 payments over 29 years) actually gives you the full advertised jackpot. The cash option is always significantly less because of the "time value of money" and interest rates.
Basically, keep your expectations low but your ticket safe. The next chance to see which state wins the Powerball is Wednesday night at 10:59 p.m. ET.