Game Info
- Draw day and time: Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 PM (ET)
- Numbers to pick: Five white ball numbers in the range of 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number among 1–26
- Win odds: 1 in 24.87
- Jackpot odds: 1 in 292,201,338
- Minimum jackpot: $20 million
- Biggest jackpot: $2.04 billion (November 2022)
Powerball USA is one of the two biggest lottery games in the United States and the world, alongside Mega Millions. The game began in April 1992 and is currently operated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL).
Powerball lottery is available in 45 US states, with the option to purchase tickets through online agents even if you’re outside the country. The draws take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, with the minimum Powerball USA jackpot starting at a $20 million annuity.
The Latest Powerball USA Lottery Results
You can check the most recent Powerball lottery results today and get information on the next draw at the official Powerball website. Of course, there are other websites and apps where you can see these details as well, but the lottery’s official site is the most reliable source.
The results page features winning numbers for all previous draws that you can search by date. You can also see the current jackpot, whether anyone has won the jackpot, read winner stories, and more.
What Is the Powerball Lottery?
Powerball is one of the two biggest multi-state lottery games played in the United States, together with Mega Millions. It is available in 45 states, only excluding Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. The minimum age for buying a lottery ticket in the included states is 18, except in Nebraska (19), Arizona (21), Iowa (21), Louisiana (21), and Mississippi (21).
While the Powerball lottery targets Americans, players overseas can purchase the tickets as well. There are numerous online lottery agents that can buy Powerball tickets for you, and you can use their services from India, Europe, Australia, South Africa, and elsewhere around the globe.
The game’s predecessor is Lotto America, which began in 1988. Four years later, the lottery changed its rules and was named Powerball, with the first draw taking place on April 22, 1992.
To play the USA Powerball online or the old-school way, you must select five numbers from a pool of 69 white ball numbers and a single red Powerball number between 1 and 26. Adding Power Play to your purchase will multiply all non-jackpot wins up to 10x. There are nine different ways to win, starting with matching the Powerball number only. To win the jackpot, you must match all five white ball numbers and the Powerball number.
Powerball USA Ticket Price
The price of Powerball is $2 per play. For $1 extra, you can opt for Power Play and a chance to multiply your non-jackpot wins. The Power Play in Idaho and Montana is bundled with the regular play for a price of $3.
Of course, these are the prices when you buy Powerball tickets in eligible states via official retailers. The overall cost of buying a Powerball ticket online is usually a bit more expensive, with the exact rate varying between concierge services, your location, and the currency conversion rates.
Online lottery agents must take their cut and cover the costs of purchasing the tickets for you, which is why the prices sometimes may be more than double what you would normally pay in any of the eligible US states.
| Powerball ticket price per play | Powerball ticket price + Power Play | |
|---|---|---|
| In the United States | $2 | $3 |
| Lotto Agent | $5.29 | $7.28 |
| Lotto Kings | $4.99 | n/a |
| Lotto247 | $3.95 | n/a |
Powerball Draw Schedule
Powerball USA draws take place three times a week, every Wednesday, Monday, and Saturday evenings at 10:59 PM Eastern Time at the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.
If you’re located in India (India Standard Time), you’ll see the draw at 9:29 AM. the next day due to a +10.5 hour difference. So, for example, when the Saturday night draw in Florida is taking place, it will be Sunday morning in India.
The official Powerball website has a timer indicating exactly how long is left before the next drawing. Eligible states usually end Powerball sales one hour before the draw, but if you’re using third-party apps to purchase your tickets, make sure to buy them at least a couple of hours in advance.
Powerball Draws Schedule:
| US Time | Indian Time |
|---|---|
| Monday at 10:59 PM ET | Tuesday at 9:29 AM IST |
| Wednesday at 10:59 PM ET | Thursday at 9:29 AM IST |
| Saturday at 10:59 PM ET | Sunday at 9:29 AM IST |
How to Play Powerball
Many Americans still buy lottery tickets in person at retail locations scattered throughout the country. However, due to the convenience of online purchasing, a lot of players opt for official and third-party lottery apps and websites. Moreover, those located outside of the US have no other way to play Powerball.
If you’ve never purchased a Powerball USA ticket online, here’s a quick guide on how it all works:
- Find a reliable lottery website — Powerball is a very popular lottery game, so there are dozens of online lottery platforms where you can buy tickets. However, you shouldn’t settle for just any website; instead, invest some time in searching for the best one (consider parameters like a safe and licensed website, low prices, good reviews, many payment options, etc.).
- Create an account — Before you can complete the purchase, you must create an account on a given lottery agent website. This process usually just involves sharing your name, age, email, and other personal information.
- Find the Powerball game — Browse all available lottery games on the website until you come across Powerball.
- Pick your numbers — Select your lucky numbers or use the autofill option to choose the number of plays. Keep in mind that some websites have a minimum ticket limit, forcing you to purchase at least two or three per draw.
- Complete the purchase — When ready, add your lottery tickets to the cart and go to checkout. Review the ticket once more, select one of the available payment options, and complete the transaction. Soon after, you will get a message confirming the purchase.
- Follow the draw — Tune in during the next draw, or check the Powerball USA results on the official Powerball website after the draw to see if you’ve won. Best of luck!
Powerball: Probability of Winning and Winning Categories
Powerball features a nine-tier prize structure with a progressive jackpot that keeps rising until someone wins. Here’s a table with odds and prizes for all winning combinations.
| Number match | Winning odds | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 5 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 292,201,338 | Jackpot ($20 million minimum) |
| 5 numbers | 1 in 11,688,053.52 | $1 million |
| 4 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 913,129.18 | $50,000 |
| Four numbers | 1 in 36,525.17 | $100 |
| 3 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 14,494.11 | $100 |
| 3 numbers | 1 in 579.76 | $7 |
| 2 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 701.33 | $7 |
| 1 number + Powerball | 1 in 91.98 | $4 |
| Powerball only | 1 in 38.32 | $4 |
In addition to these prizes, the Power Play option may multiply your winnings by two, three, four, five, or ten times. The Power Play does not apply to the grand prize, while the 5-number win ($1 million) can only be multiplied twice.
How to Win at Powerball: Tips & Tricks
There’s no big secret to winning Powerball, or any lottery game for that matter. Everything is based on pure chance, despite many people believing in “lucky numbers” and other superstitions.
Nevertheless, there are ways to play the Powerball USA lottery wisely and improve those astronomical odds a bit, no matter how small. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Play consistently — As the legendary Wayne Gretzky once stated: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” This can apply to lots of things, including the lottery. It means that you must do a Powerball analysis and play consistently if you want to have a chance at big winnings.
- Cut costs by finding the right lottery sites — Where you choose to purchase your Powerball tickets matters, as not every ticket site offers the same prices. If you’re a passionate lottery player who never misses a draw, it makes sense to find a platform where you can pay less for the same chance at a prize.
- Subscribe for future draws — One of the worst feelings is seeing your favourite numbers drawn after forgetting to buy the ticket. To avoid this calamity, you can subscribe to several drawings in advance.
Powerball Jackpot and Biggest Wins
Powerball is known for generating some of the biggest lottery jackpots of all time. The jackpot starts at a hefty $20 million and increases continuously until someone wins it. Since matching all six numbers is quite rare (after all, the odds are 1 in 292,201,338), the grand prize often rises to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars and sometimes even exceeds the billion-dollar mark.
Here are the top five jackpot wins in Powerball history:
| Jackpot | Date |
|---|---|
| $2.04 billion | November 2022 |
| $1.58 billion (split between three winning tickets) | January 2016 |
| $842 million | January 2024 |
| $768 million | March 2019 |
| $759 million | August 2017 |
Claiming and Withdrawing Powerball Winnings
The Powerball prizes must be claimed in the jurisdictions where the ticket has been purchased. If you win $600 or less, you can redeem your prize at any licensed lottery retailer, while prizes exceeding this amount must be collected at lottery offices or lottery headquarters.
Ticket expiration dates vary from 90 days to a year, depending on the region, and all unclaimed prizes are kept by the lottery jurisdiction. Winners can choose between 30 annual payments or one lump-sum cash payment.
Powerball India
Although Powerball tickets are not officially sold outside of the United States, many websites allow you to enjoy this popular lottery game even abroad. Namely, once you register to these sites, they can purchase Powerball and other lottery tickets for you, taking a small fee in the process. Indian players are often accepted on these sites, and they can even purchase tickets in their local currency and use local payment methods.
Once you complete your order, a representative will purchase the ticket for you and pay out any potential prizes in case you win.
Powerball Taxation Rules
Lottery winnings of over $600 in the US are taxable on both federal and state levels. A federal tax of between 24% and 37% applies to all winnings of $5,000 or above, depending on the exact amount, while winnings of between $600.01 and $5,000 must be reported on your federal income tax form. The state tax varies between states and winning amounts, ranging from no withholding in several states to 10.9% in New York.
For those who purchased their tickets online and while living abroad, these taxes may be imposed as fees during withdrawals. For more information on taxation rules, you should contact the lottery site where you purchased your ticket.
Summary
Discover everything you need to know about Powerball USA, one of the world’s biggest lottery games. This guide includes information on how to play, ticket prices, draw schedules, and winning odds, providing you with useful information whether you live in the US or abroad.
Learn how to buy tickets online, check results, and explore Powerball’s record-breaking jackpots, including the recent $2.04 billion prize. Plus, find tips for improving your jackpot chances and navigating taxation rules for winnings.