Powerball’s $1.5 billion (and growing) jackpot on the line tonight. This one game has pumped $29 million into HOPE, PreK funds

• Get the latest updates on tonight’s drawing as Georgia Lottery’s John Crow joins Hometown Headlines Radio Edition at 8:40 this morning on WRGA 98.7 FM and streaming at wrga.streamon.fm

Update: Georgia Lottery’s John Crow joined us Wednesday morning on Hometown Headlines Radio Edition on WRGA 98.7 FM. Crow, who does the Georgia-based drawings each evening, says this current Powerball jackpot has rolled (not be won) 19 times. Throughout the run, Georgia has sold more than $72 million in Powerball tickets and of that, more than $29 million will come back to Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship and PreK funds.

ORIGINAL REPORT: A record $1.5 billion is six numbers away with the drawing set just before 11 p.m. EST. The odds certainly are against you — more than 1 in 292 million — when it comes to winning the grand prize. But overall, you have a 1 in 25 chance in winning some sort of prize as there are nine ways to win depending on how many of the winning balls are on your tickets.

Oh so close: WSB TV reports that Dennis Taimanglo of Lawrenceville matched the first five numbers from the Jan. 9 Powerball drawing, winning a $1 million prize. Seven tickets nationwide had five numbers. The story

WHAT TO KNOW (from Powerball.com)

Beginning in October, Powerball became an even larger combined large jackpot game and cash game. Every Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59 p.m. EST, we draw five white balls out of a drum with 69 balls and one red ball out of a drum with 26 red balls. This change means bigger jackpots.

The jackpot - won by matching all five white balls in any order and the red Powerball - is either an annuitized prize paid out over 29 years (30 payments counting the first immediate payment) or a cash lump sum payment. If you choose the cash, then you get the cash, pay the tax, and can invest what is left over. If you choose the annuity, then we can invest the cash amount pre-tax, less an immediate first payment (more to invest means more earnings). With the annuity, you get an annual payment that is increased by 5% each year to keep up with the cost of living.

The second prize - won by matching five white balls in any order - is $1,000,000 paid in cash (no annuity option). You win by matching at least three white ball numbmers. Any time you match the red Powerball, you win a prize. The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are approximately 1 in 25. Players win a prize by matching one of the 9 Ways to Win.

Each ticket costs $2. Draw sales cut off at least 59 minutes before the draw but a state may cut off sales earlier. Check with your state lottery for your cut-off time.