Video above: Attorney advises lottery winners what to do after they've won

The Powerball jackpot keeps getting larger because players keep losing.

After no one matched all six numbers for Saturday night's estimated $825 million grand prize, the jackpot is now up to $1 billion.

The winning numbers Monday night were: 13, 19, 36, 39 and 59 white balls and the 13 red power ball.

The jackpot is the second-largest in U.S. history. The biggest prize was a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot won by three ticketholders in 2016.

Although the advertised top prize will be an estimated $1 billion, that is for winners who receive their winnings through an annuity paid over 29 years. Winners almost always opt for cash, which for Monday's drawing is an estimated $497.3 million.

Players who missed out on the latest grand prize in the 30-year-old lottery shouldn't immediately toss away their receipts.

A Florida ticket holder matched all five white balls in Saturday's drawing and increased the prize to $2 million by including the game's "Power Play" feature. Six tickets won a $1 million prize by matching five white balls, including two in California, two in Michigan, one in Maryland and one in Texas.

Another 17 tickets won a $150,000 prize while there were 80 winners of $50,000 each. More than 3.8 million tickets won cash prizes totaling above $38 million, Powerball said.

It has been nearly three months since anyone hit all six numbers and took the lottery's top prize, with a $206.9 million jackpot win in Pennsylvania on Aug. 3. Thanks to Powerball's long odds of one in 292.2 million, there have now been 37 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner.

Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Some drivers took advantage of roads and highways emptied by the coronavirus pandemic by pushing well past the speed limit, a trend that continues even as states try to get back to normal.

The Iowa State Patrol recorded a 101% increase from January through August over the four-year average in tickets for speeds exceeding 100 mph, along with a 75% increase in tickets for speeds of 25 mph or more over the posted speed limit.

California Highway Patrol officers issued more than 15,000 tickets from mid-March through Aug. 19 for speeds exceeding 100 mph, more than a 100% increase over the same time period a year ago. That includes a continuing spike from May on.

The most likely explanation is drivers taking advantage of more open roads because of the pandemic, said Officer Ian Hoey, a spokesman for the California agency.

The patrol planned a heavy presence over the Labor Day weekend, he said.

“Let’s just slow down a bit and enjoy the day!” the agency’s Santa Rosa division tweeted June 21, along with a photo of a laser speed device recording a car going 127 mph.

In Ohio, state troopers have issued 2,200 tickets since April for driving more than 100 mph, a 61% increase over the same time period a year ago. The highest ticketed speed was 147 mph in the Cincinnati area.

While traffic has decreased 15% from February through July, the number of people driving more than 80 mph on Ohio roads jumped by 30%, according to sensor data analyzed by the state Department of Transportation.

Columbus resident Karen Poltor experienced the trend firsthand last month when three cars raced past her on state Route 315, an expressway through the city.

“They were flying in the left lane and weaving around cars,” said Poltor, who estimated their speed at between 90 and 100 mph. “It was terrifying to watch.”

Ohio authorities are especially troubled that speeds not only picked up in the early days of the pandemic when roads were emptier, but they’ve also continued even as the state reopened and roads became more congested.

“We’ve seen people continue to go those speeds even though there now is more traffic, which makes it even more dangerous,” said Lt. Craig Cvetan, an Ohio patrol spokesman.

July was Ohio’s deadliest traffic month since 2007, with 154 fatalities.

A temporary reduction in traffic enforcement in the early days of the pandemic may have contributed to a sense of invulnerability by some drivers. Some Ohio police agencies — though not the patrol — eased up on pulling drivers over for minor traffic violations to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

In addition, Ohio troopers were spread thin for several weeks as they were called on to help distribute food and later provide security as protests over police brutality and racism erupted following the death in May of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“When people see less troopers on the roadway or they see less law enforcement out working, there is that tendency for them to start committing traffic violations,” Cvetan said.

Vermont law enforcement officials believe an increase in the number of traffic fatalities recorded to date this year could be linked to fewer police on the road because of the pandemic. So far there have been 43 traffic fatality deaths, up from 21 at the same point last year.

Utah state police saw a 23% jump in tickets issued for going 20 mph or more over the speed limit from March through August compared with the same time period last year. In Pennsylvania, patrol tickets for drivers exceeding 100 mph climbed in March but then stayed high from June through August, jumping 25% during that three-month period.

The government warned drivers to slow down in a mid-July message aimed at pandemic speeding.

“Less traffic has coincided with a rise in speeding in some areas of the country, and that’s a problem because speeding increases the risk of crashes, and can increase crash severity as well,” said James Owens, deputy administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a public service announcement.

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Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Ryan Foley in Iowa City; Don Thompson in Sacramento, California; Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vermont; and Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City.

Winning Powerball numbers for $635 million drawing announced

Updated: 11:12 PM EDT Oct 2, 2021

The 10th largest prize in Powerball history is up for grabs Saturday night.The winning numbers for the Oct. 2 drawing are 42, 38, 47, 52, 28, with a Powerball of 1.The Powerball jackpot has reached an estimated $635 million thanks to 39 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner, a record streak for the game dating back to June 5. There hasn't been a bigger Powerball jackpot since a $731.1 million prize was won on Jan. 20.The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

Somebody has finally won the big Powerball jackpot. So far, we know the winning ticket was sold a store in Maryland. The single ticket is worth more than $731 million.

Maryland does allow its lottery winners to remain anonymous. The state itself has only had three Powerball winners ever, including the latest one.

It's not really considered a "lucky" state if you compare it to places like Indiana, where they've had 39 Powerball winners, or Missouri, where they've had 31.

So, is there such a thing as a lucky state? Experts in math and statistics say no.

“Every lottery ticket has the same odds, no matter where it's bought, no matter when it's bought,” said Dr. Lew Lefton, a Georgia Tech University faculty member who teaches math.

Lefton says it's expected to have clusters of winners, whether its broken down by state, zip code, or even gender.

It would be strange if the winners were evenly distributed by state.

“Random processes always have clusters and empty spaces. If you think about just throwing random points of paint on a canvas, some of them are going to be close together. Some of them are going to be far apart. That's just normal,” said Lefton.

Population density doesn't really have an effect on the chances of winning. Buying more tickets also doesn't really increase your chances of winning. It just increases the jackpot.

“The real odds are increased, but it's incrementally increased. It's so small that it's not substantial unless you start buying literally hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of tickets,” said Lefton.

Lefton says if you're going to play the lottery, you're better off buying just one ticket.

“Don't expect to win, but just enjoy the uncertainty of being wealthy for a moment and the possibility. That's enough entertainment for your $2,” said Lefton.

The jackpot for tomorrow night's Mega Millions drawing is up to nearly $1 billion.

'It’s surreal': Lottery winner unknowingly drives around with winning ticket for a week

Updated: 12:56 PM EDT Jun 8, 2021

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most people dream of winning the lottery, the new cars, the vacations, the homes. However, all of these shiny objects are things you should avoid. Here are five things you shouldn't do If you win the lottery. Take it from financial experts USA Today, CNN and 24 7 Wall Street spoke with I don't think you can win big and then up and leave your spouse without telling them. A woman tried this in 1996 after winning 1.3 million from the California Lottery, she was forced to hand over her fortune during divorce proceedings to her ex hubby. Don't jump for joy right away if the numbers match in 2013 a Pasadena, California, woman found out she held a winning ticket for a cool $360 million. Problem is, it wasn't a winning ticket because she bought it on our after the Powerball cutoff time. Don't be so generous with your new money. Word will spread fast and people in your life will be looking for a handout. The news will also attract people you don't even know hitting you up for investments, gifts and loans which won't be paid back. Some financial planners even recommend changing your phone number. The dream of winning can turn into a nightmare. If you brag about your new cash, USA Today says winning the lottery could make you a target for theft or murder. So keep things to yourself. Just because you won the lottery doesn't mean you're suddenly smarter about money. For many winning shows, they don't know a thing about having big bucks and taxes that come with those shiny new objects. Be smart and get a financial planner. Because the certified financial planner Board of Standard says nearly 1/3 of lottery winners declare bankruptcy. That doesn't take long to go from living on Easy Street to the poor house.

'It’s surreal': Lottery winner unknowingly drives around with winning ticket for a week

Updated: 12:56 PM EDT Jun 8, 2021

Video above: 5 Things You Shouldn't Do if You Win the LotteryTalk about delayed reaction.A lottery ticket that was left in a car for a week, when scratched won a player in South Carolina $500,000."I didn’t hesitate," said the winner. "I drove straight to Columbia to cash it in."The winner told South Carolina Education Lottery officials he had unknowingly been riding around with the ticket worth half a million dollars in his car for a week after purchasing it from a Stop-A-Minit in Greenville. The prize still has him shaking his head."It's surreal," he said of the $500,000 win. "That's the only way I know how to describe it."

COLUMBIA, S.C. —

Video above: 5 Things You Shouldn't Do if You Win the Lottery

Talk about delayed reaction.

A lottery ticket that was left in a car for a week, when scratched won a player in South Carolina $500,000.

"I didn’t hesitate," said the winner. "I drove straight to Columbia to cash it in."

The winner told South Carolina Education Lottery officials he had unknowingly been riding around with the ticket worth half a million dollars in his car for a week after purchasing it from a Stop-A-Minit in Greenville. The prize still has him shaking his head.

"It's surreal," he said of the $500,000 win. "That's the only way I know how to describe it."