Since Saturday’s record jackpot of nearly $950 million in the multi-state Powerball lottery produced no winners, the jackpot for a winning ticket in the next draw, to be held Wednesday, January 13, has now zoomed to approximately $1.3 billion, say lottery officials.

Forty-four states, plus Washington, D.C., and two U.S. territories are participating in the lottery, which has riveted the nation.

Close

The pot of gold that awaits the winner will be the largest jackpot for any lottery in North American history.

“The grand prize for Powerball has climbed steadily for weeks after repeated drawings produced no big winners,” Reuters reported. “This week ticket purchases surged along with the size of the pot, driving the prize beyond the $900 million reported earlier. The grand prize in Saturday’s drawing was worth $558 million for a winner choosing an immediate cash payout instead of annual payments over 29 years, according to lottery officials in California, one of the participating states.”