The winning numbers drawn on the evening of 6/9 were 11, 23, 44, 61, and 62, with the Powerball number 17. The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which manages Powerball, confirmed late Wednesday that two tickets sold in Texas and Missouri matched all six numbers, splitting the $1.787 billion prize.

Each winner can choose to receive their half of the jackpot, $893.5 million, through 30 payments over 29 years, or take a lump sum of $410.3 million.

The Texas Lottery announced that the winning ticket in their state was sold at a convenience store inside a Big's 103 gas station in Fredericksburg. The store will receive $250,000 for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.

A customer shows off a newly purchased lottery ticket at a liquor store in Hawthorne, California, on 5/9. *AP*

The location where the Missouri ticket was sold has not yet been released, and the identities of both winners remain anonymous.

This is the second-largest Powerball jackpot since the game's inception in 1992, replacing Lotto America. Powerball is played in 45 states, with drawings held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday evening.

Players select five numbers from 1 to 69 and a sixth number, the Powerball, from 1 to 26. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, significantly lower than the probability of being struck by lightning. The jackpot starts at $20 million and rolls over if there are no winners.

The largest Powerball jackpot in history was $2.04 billion, won in California in 2022.

Duc Trung (*NBC News, AP*)