Update: New York's Lottery sales at $3.3m per hour for $900M Powerball drawing tonight

The New York Lottery today announced morning hourly sales have climbed to $1.7 million per hour for tonight's record-breaking Powerball drawing with the jackpot now at $900 million.

Statewide Powerball sales have climbed steadily throughout the morning:

• 8 a.m. - $473,000 per hour
• 9 a.m. - $856,000 per hour
• 10 a.m. - $1.3 million per hour
• 11 a.m. - $1.7 million per hour

"This history-making Powerball jackpot has skyrocketed sales statewide to $123.5 million as of 11 a.m. this morning," said Gardner Gurney, director of the Division of the Lottery. "At this level of sales, we will have thousands of winners in New York at various prize levels. Sales for tonight's drawing end at 10 p.m., so we urge New Yorkers to get their tickets early and get in on the excitement of a $900 million dollar jackpot."

Tonight's drawing is the largest Powerball jackpot ever and also the largest jackpot prize of any lottery game in U.S. history. No one matched all six numbers for Wednesday's $528.5 million drawing causing the jackpot to roll to $900 million or $558 million in a lump sum. This Powerball jackpot began on Nov. 7 at $40 million and has rolled over 19 times leading up to tonight's $900 million jackpot.

Lottery officials remind players they could be a winner even if they don't win the jackpot prize. The second place prize is $1 million for matching the first five numbers or $2 million if they paid an extra dollar for the Power Play feature when they bought a ticket.

Wednesday's Powerball jackpot of $528.5 million produced more than 605,144 winning tickets in New York. If no one matches all five numbers plus the Powerball for tonight's drawing, the jackpot will continue to grow. Tickets cost $2 per game and can be purchased until 10 p.m. EST.

Powerball is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The largest Powerball jackpot to date was $590.5 million, won in Florida in May 2013.

The New York Lottery urges players to sign your ticket(s) upon receipt and to keep all Lottery tickets in a safe, secure place until coming in to claim. Winners have one year from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes.

Players may claim tickets at any of the Lottery's customer service centers statewide, including:

•New York City customer service center

15 Beaver St. (between Broadway and Broad Street, corner of New Street; two blocks south of Wall Street; one block South of the Bull on Broadway; ground level) New York, NY 10004 212-383-1317

•Long Island customer service center

45 S. Service Road Plainview, New York 11803 516-222-8224

•Hudson Valley customer service center

18 Westage Business Center, Hudson Valley Towne Center, Suite 6, Fishkill, NY 12524 845-897-5028

•Capital Region/Adirondack customer service center

One Broadway Center, PO Box 7500

Schenectady, NY 12305 518-388-3300

•Syracuse/Central New York customer service center

620 Erie Blvd., West Syracuse, NY 13204 315-448-4314

•Buffalo/Western New York customer service center

165 Genesee St., Buffalo, NY 14203 716-847-3480

The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.11 billion in fiscal year 2014-15 to help support education in New York. The Lottery's contribution represents 14 percent of total state education aid to local school districts.

Update: The New York Lottery announced afternoon hourly sales climbed to $3.3 million per hour for tonight's record-breaking Powerball drawing with the jackpot now at $900 million.

Statewide, Powerball sales climbed steadily throughout the afternoon:

• Noon - $2.1 million per hour
• 1 p.m. - $2.4 million per hour
• 2 p.m. - $2.6 million per hour
• 3 p.m. - $2.9 million per hour
• 4 p.m. - $3.3 million per hour

"This history-making Powerball jackpot has skyrocketed sales statewide to $49.4 million as of 4 p.m. this afternoon," Gurney said.