How To Play USA Powerball

 
 

TICKET COST
Powerball tickets cost $2.00 per play.

PLAY DAYS
Powerball drawings are held every week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

DRAW TIME
Each Powerball draw is made at 10:59 p.m. ET.

Sales cut-off times vary by one to two hours before the drawing, depending on the selling jurisdiction.

BALLS & NUMBERS

  • Select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls.

  • Then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

WIN CONDITIONS
Players win a prize by matching one of the 9 ways to win.

WHERE TO PLAY
You can play Powerball in 45 states of the United States, Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

DRAW RESULTS

PRIZE TIER

There are nine ways to win a Powerball prize, ranging from $4 to the Grand Prize (jackpot). If no one wins the jackpot, the money is added back to the jackpot for the next drawing.

All prizes are set cash amounts, except the Grand Prize.


JACKPOT PRIZE PAYOUT
Grand Prize Jackpot winners can either select their prize as an annuity or a lump-sum payment.

  • Annuity option: The winner is guaranteed to receive 30 graduated payments over 29 years. The annual payments increase by 5% until the 30th and final payment. The 30 payments added up equal the value of the annuity.

  • Cash Value option: This smaller payment option is a one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to all the cash in the Powerball jackpot prize pool.

CALIFORNIA PRIZES
In California, Powerball prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.

POWER PLAY
You can ask for Power Play with any Powerball purchase.

  • For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 times.

  • The multiplier number is randomly selected just before each drawing.

  • The 10X multiplier is only in play when the advertised jackpot annuity is $150 million or less.

The Match 5 prize with Power Play is always $2 million.

ABOUT US POWERBALL

Powerball is an American lottery game available in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

It was created by Dr. Edward J. Stanek and Steve Caputo and launched as Powerball in 1992, succeeding its predecessor, Lotto America, which started in 1988. Powerball was innovative for being the first game to use two drums for drawing numbers, increasing the odds of winning while allowing for multiple prize levels.

Powerball drawings were initially held biweekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with Monday drawings added in 2021 to boost sales and jackpot amounts. The game has undergone several format changes over the years.

The annuity option, introduced in 1997, changed from 20 to 25 yearly payments, and the cash option was added. In 2001, Powerball introduced the Power Play multiplier, allowing players to multiply non-jackpot winnings for an extra cost.

Significant changes occurred in 2009 with Powerball sales starting in Florida, altering the number matrix, and improving the average jackpot win. The 2010 cross-sell expansion allowed Powerball and Mega Millions to be offered in the same jurisdictions.

The format changed again in 2015, altering the white-ball and Powerball pools, which impacted the odds and prize structure. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the starting jackpot was temporarily lowered due to decreased sales and interest rates.

Powerball is known for its large jackpots, with a minimum starting jackpot of $20 million. Winners can choose between an annuity paid over 29 years or a lump sum payment.

The game's largest jackpots have garnered significant attention, contributing to its popularity as one of the most prominent lottery games in the United States