Drawings for the Powerball lottery jackpot worth a whopping $1.9 billion suddenly halted on Monday night due to an unexplained “technical error.”
The drawing did not occur at the scheduled 10:59 p.m. ET slot when a games spokesperson told media outlets that “an unexplained technical error” halted the big moment. The California Lottery further said that the drawing had been delayed “due to participating lottery needing extra time to complete the required security protocols.”
“Powerball has strict security requirements that must be met by all 48 lotteries before a drawing can occur,” the California Lottery wrote on Twitter. “When the required security protocols are complete, the drawing will be performed under the supervision of lottery security officials and independent auditors.”
The current Powerball website lists the results as “pending.”
“Monday’s drawing was set to be historic – after more than three dozen drawings without a winner, the Powerball jackpot has reached $1.9 billion. It’s not only the largest Powerball jackpot but the largest lottery prize in U.S. history,” reported the Hill.
People all over social media responded to the delay with outrage, drawing eerie comparisons to the 2020 election.