Three Powerball winners sold

Three people are each holding a Powerball ticket worth a half-billion dollars.

Winning tickets were sold in North Carolina, Texas and Puerto Rico in Wednesday's $564 million Powerball drawing, lottery officials confirmed.

The jackpot in the game had gone without a winner since Nov. 29.

Participants who wanted a chance at the Powerball jackpot had until 6:55 p.m. Wednesday to purchase their $2 tickets.

This is the third-largest Powerball jackpot in the game's history and the fifth-largest jackpot in the history of the world.

Powerball sales in Idaho were brisk, increasing more than 50 percent over the same period last week, reported the state lottery commission.

The Idaho Lottery suggests players sign and print their names on the back of their tickets.