US Powerball jackpot reaches $1.6 billion - the biggest lottery prize in history

Strong sales have boosted the US Powerball jackpot to an estimated $1.6 billion on Friday, making it the largest lottery prize in history.

A draw will be held on Saturday night for the prize, which hasn’t been won in more than three months.

That string of 39 consecutive draws without a winner is a reflection of the tough odds of winning a jackpot, at one in 292.2 million.

The advertised jackpot is the prize for a winner who chooses an annuity - paid annually over 29 years.

Almost all winners instead opt for the cash prize, which for Saturday night’s draw would be an estimated $782.4 million.

The new jackpot tops the previous record prize of $1.586 billion, won in 2016 by three players in California, Florida and Tennessee.

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Powerball is played in 45 US states, as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

However, five states - Utah, Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska, and Alabama - do not have a lottery.

Their reasons include: objections from conservatives, concerns about the impact on low-income families, or a desire not to compete with existing gaming operations.