Powerball Jackpot Now Largest Ever

Jump in price of tickets is resulting in quicker increases in win pool

The jackpot for Wednesday's Powerball drawing now stands at $500 million—the richest Powerball pot ever—and it's likely to get even sweeter.

"Back in January, we moved Powerball from being a $1 game to $2," says Mary Neubauer, a spokeswoman for the Iowa lottery. "We thought at the time that this would mean bigger and faster-growing jackpots."

It's proved true. The total, she says, "has been taking huge jumps—another $100 million since Saturday." (The most recent drawing, on Saturday night, produced no winning numbers.)