The most recent Powerball jackpot was recorded to be more than $133 million -- a very nice chunk of change -- but it got as high as $2.04 billion in 2022. That's still the largest lottery jackpot to date. For You: 4 Little-Known 401(k) Rules That Could ...

Lottery officials are urging players to check their tickets before the winning prize expires for good.

Playing the lottery can be fun, especially when the potential payout is enormous. For as little as a dollar or two, you have the potential to become a billionaire. And the lottery is also big business.

Is the lottery curse real? To find out, USA TODAY tracked more than 30 Powerball winners from the past decade. Here's what we found.