Powerball hits $120 million

Tomorrow's Powerball jackpot will be $120 million, because no one hit all the numbers drawn Wednesday.

That's the total for the yearly-payment option. The lump-sum payout for a single winning ticket would be about $75 million.

Before taxes, of course.

In the Wednesday drawing, one ticket in Tennessee won $1 million, while three others - Louisiana, Missouri and South Carolina - won $200,000 each.

All four had the first five numbers drawn - 23, 31, 33, 38 and 52 - but not the Powerball of 24.

The Tennessee ticket, though, also had the $1 Power Play option. Under new rules that went into effect for Wednesday's drawing, the second-tier prize automatically becomes $1 million with the Power Play.

(Not that the change would have mattered in this case. The Power Play number drawn was 5, which would have multiplied the $200,000 five-fold to $1 million anyway.)

Two other changes were also instituted Wednesday, timed to coincide with Florida's joining Pennsylvania, Delaware and the 27 other states that offer Powerball.

The odds of winning the top prize became longer, to help keep jackpots growing, and the starting jackpots will be higher, $20 million, after a top prize is won.

Mega Millions. Tonight, Mega Millions, the other multistate lottery, has a $16 million top prize.

Yesterday, the winner of Jan. 2's $47 million jackpot was disclosed as Todd Moitz, who bought his ticket at a 7-Eleven in San Diego. He took the cash payout of $32 million, before taxes.

Mega Millions is played in New Jersey and nine other states.

For more information, go to www.philly.com/philly/news/lottery.