Powerball

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2017, Powerball stands out as one of the most renowned lotteries globally, available in 44 states, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The jackpot begins at a minimum of $40 million, progressively increasing with each unclaimed draw. Both U.S. citizens and foreign players can participate, but both groups are subject to taxes. Americans face a 25 percent tax, while non-Americans contend with a 30 percent tax on lottery winnings.

The largest Powerball jackpot to date, nearly $1.5 billion at the start of 2016, was split between a gambling syndicate and a pair of parents.

How to Play Powerball

Playing Powerball is straightforward, requiring no state exam. There are two options: a $2 Powerball ticket or a $3 Powerball ticket with Power Play. Opting for the latter multiplies winning chances up to 10 times on all prize levels except the Jackpot and Match 5 + 0 prizes. The multiplier (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X) is randomly selected. If Power Play is chosen, the multiplier is automatically set for Match 5 + 0 prizes, increasing the prize to $2,000,000. However, the jackpot prize is never multiplied.

For other prize levels, the Power Play multiplier is randomly determined during the Powerball draw, ranging from 2 to 10. The 10X option is available when the advertised jackpots are between $40 million and $150 million. The chosen number becomes the Power Play number used to multiply winnings for the bottom seven prize levels in that drawing.

Choosing the Numbers

Once you’ve selected either Powerball or Powerball with Power Play, choosing your numbers is a simple process. You can either manually pick your numbers or opt for a ‘Quick Pick’ ticket, where a computer randomly selects the numbers. Each lottery ticket allows you to fill in a total of 5 sets of numbers.

Additionally, you have the option to use the same ticket for future draws, for up to 26 consecutive draws. To participate in these draws, you must mark the ‘Multi-draw’ boxes on the ticket or request multiple draws from the dealer at the time of purchase. Once generated, a Powerball ticket cannot be canceled. The ticket itself, not the game ticket, serves as proof of purchase.

All sales for Powerball cease at 9:59 p.m. on drawing days and resume after the drawing is concluded. Drawings occur on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 PM (5 a.m. CET).

You have 180 days to claim your winnings; after this period, the right to claim expires.

9 Ways to Win

Powerball offers 9 additional ways to win. The jackpot prize is won by playing five white balls (1 to 69) in any order, plus the red Powerball number (1 to 26), totaling 6 balls. There are 8 more ways to win by matching fewer numbers. With 9 prize levels, including a Match 5 + 0 second-level prize of $1 million, Powerball provides various opportunities to win substantial prizes.