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Lottery officials in 2015 to create these humongous jackpots and draw more attention, while also making it easier to win smaller prizes.

Experts say it’s a sign the lottery is operating exactly as designed, and that no one should really expect to match all six numbers and make a killing. Still, somebody will likely win at some point, and many players are hoping to be that lucky winner.

“Everybody wants to be a millionaire,� said Saqi Anwer, an Atlanta gas station manager who sold $800 worth of tickets on Saturday.

How much would the winner take home?

Monday's estimated $1.6 billion jackpot has a cash value of $735.3 million.

That means a winner can choose to be paid the whole amount with an immediate payment and then annual payments over 29 years that increase by 5% each time. Winners almost always opt for the up-front cash value, however both eye-popping figures are before taxes.

The last time someone won the Powerball top prize was on Sept. 6, when players in Missouri and Texas won — the second-highest jackpot in U.S. history.

Matt Strawn, who chairs the Powerball Product Group, said in an interview that nothing special predated back-to-back billion-dollar jackpots this year other than the odds of the game. Still, he said it would be magical for a winning ticket to be cashed in during the holidays.

“Imagine if someone is giving the gift of a winning Powerball ticket away, whether it’s in a stocking or a thank-you note to your mail carrier,� Strawn said.

How does the prize rank among the largest jackpots ever?

Monday’s potential bounty now tops the existing 5th-biggest jackpot of a $1.586 billion drawn on Jan. 13, 2016.

Four other jackpots, all from the past three years, have bested the current prize. The biggest U.S. jackpot ever was $2.04 billion back in 2022.

That lotto winner bought the ticket at a and opted for a lump-sum payment of $997.6 million.

In Atlanta on Sunday, players were lining up to get their tickets ahead of Monday's drawing.

“My wife encourages me to buy a ticket because she wants to go on a big trip and she wants to do something good in society,� Bob Wehner said outside a car wash. “And she thought, ‘Well, we can do both if we win, for crying out loud!’�

Ronan Farrell, a middle schooler, speculated about buying an Xbox and a Lamborghini if his family won.

“With an Xbox controller as well,� he added.

What are the odds of winning? Not good

The odds of winning Monday’s jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball. Before the switch a decade ago, the odds were 1 in 175 million. Players now have a 1 in 24.9 chance overall of winning some kind of prize.

Tim Chartier, a Davidson College math professor, said he's never bought a lottery ticket despite knowing those odds inside and out.

“Picking a winning lottery ticket is equivalent to selecting one marked dollar bill from a stack 19 miles high — roughly the height of more than 115 Statues of Liberty,� or 30 kilometers, Chartier said.

“If you have the funds and you enjoy dreaming about a billionaire life, enjoy the ride. Of course, you could win,� Chartier said. “But when the numbers don’t fall your way, recognize that the odds were never in your favor — and that the twinkle of possibility is what made the journey worth the almost-certain letdown.�

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Associated Press videojournalist Emilie Megnien in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.