US Powerball jackpot surpasses $1bn ahead of Halloween night draw

The jackpot in one of the major US lotteries has topped $1bn – and could be won in the Halloween draw tonight.

The prize in the Powerball is the fifth-biggest jackpot in US history.

Americans have rushed to shops, supermarkets and petrol stations to buy tickets, which cost $2, ahead of the draw just before 11pm Eastern time.

No one has matched all six numbers since 3 August, when a ticket holder from Pennsylvania claimed a $206m (£179.5m) prize.

The biggest prize ever won in the US was a $1.586bn (£1.383bn) Powerball jackpot in 2016, which was claimed by three ticketholders.

“The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292.2 million”, lottery officials said.

Another lottery jackpot topped $1bn mark last year.

On 22 January, a ticket matched all six numbers in the Mega Millions lottery to win the $1.05bn jackpot.

Big lottery jackpots have become more frequent in recent years as lottery officials have adjusted game rules and ticket prices to pump up the top prizes.

Powerball officials made the most recent tweak in August by adding an additional drawing day – going from two draws a week to three – in an effort to build bigger prizes and boost sales.

Though there is a slim chance of winning, the odds of someone – or even multiple players – coming up with the winning numbers is rising, because more people are playing as the jackpot grows.

The $1bn jackpot prize is for winners who choose to take the full amount piecemeal over 29 annual payments.

Almost all jackpot winners decide to opt for a lower one-off payment, which for the draw tonight would be an estimated $497.3m (£433.6m).

The Powerball jackpot starts over again at $20m (£17.4m) once a winning ticket matches the drawing, and continues to grow each drawing until it is won.

Powerball is played in 45 states across America, as well as Washington, DC Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.