Powerball Lottery Drawing Has Been Delayed Due To Security Procedures

The drawing for Monday night's record $1.9 billion Powerball jackpot has been postponed because additional time is required to carry out security procedures, according to the California Lottery.

"Once the necessary security processes have been completed, the drawing will be conducted under the observation of lottery security personnel and independent auditors," the state lottery stated.

According to The Associated Press, the Multi-State Lottery Association verified the cause for the delay, saying that a participating lottery required more time to process transactions. "The Powerball drawing will still take place tonight," the group added.

The current Powerball jackpot began at $20 million on August 6 and has increased over three months with no wins. The odds of drawing the winning number were assessed to be one in 292.2 million by lottery authorities.

According to the Associated Press, a winner of the Monday drawing who chooses a lump sum payout will get an estimated $929.1 million. The whole $1.9 billion would be awarded to the winner who selects an annuity paid out yearly over 29 years.

If no one wins the Monday drawing, the jackpot for Wednesday's drawing will exceed $2 billion.

Before the drawing, all 48 jurisdictions must comply with the security measures. Powerball is available in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., the United States Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.