How to Play Powerball (2024)

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To play Powerball, you must select five main numbers between 1 and 69 and one Powerball from 1 to 26. Draws take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59pm EST, and the price per line is $2. You can also add the Power Play option to your ticket for an additional $1, which will multiply any non-jackpot prizes you win by up to 10 times their original value. Find out more about how to play Powerball.

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Play at an Authorized Retailer

You can buy tickets from authorized retailers in any of the participating jurisdictions. The game is available in 45 states, as well as Washington D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. It is easy to take part, and you just have to follow the steps below:

How To Fill Out A Ticket

Follow our step-by-step guide below to find out how to fill out your Powerball ticket when playing in-store. This outlines how to buy Powerball tickets, although there are also state-specific instructions depending on where you are. If you don't want to select your own numbers, you can also use Quick Picks to help you decide on your numbers if you would prefer.

How to Play Powerball (1)

Visit the retailer of your choice and pick up a playslip.

How to Play Powerball (2)

Select five numbers from 1 to 69, plus one Powerball between 1 and 26. Alternatively, opt for a Quick Pick to have them randomly generated for you.

How to Play Powerball (3)

Decide whether to add the Power Play option.

How to Play Powerball (4)

Choose to enter just the next draw or multiple consecutive draws.

How to Play Powerball (5)

Pay for your ticket and keep it safe until the draw.

In some states you also have the option to add Double Play to your ticket. This is an extra feature which costs $1 per play. Your Powerball numbers will be entered into a separate draw which is held shortly after the main game. Go to the Double Play page for more information about the game, which has a top prize of $10 million.

You can purchase tickets without being a resident of the state in which you are playing, but you must be the minimum age to play, which varies by state. Go to the Rules page to find out about the age restrictions in different states.

You can buy tickets seven days a week until the cut-off time on the night of the drawings. The cut-off time for ticket sales varies in each jurisdiction but is typically one to two hours before each draw.

You can also enter several games on one ticket, giving you multiple chances of winning. There is a section on your playslip where you can select how many draws you wish to enter. Just mark the relevant box to specify how many consecutive draws you would like to play. The maximum number of draws you can enter in advance varies from state to state.

Each Powerball line costs $2, but the total price of your ticket will depend on how many games you play, how many consecutive draws you enter and whether you have added the Power Play option.

How to Play Powerball with Power Play

Power Play is an optional add-on that costs an extra $1 per game. For example, if you want to enter just one line of Powerball numbers with Power Play, it will cost $3. To add it to your ticket, just select the Power Play box on your playslip. It is available in all participating jurisdictions apart from California, while in Idaho and Montana it is included automatically.

If you win a prize with Power Play, any non-jackpot winnings on your Powerball ticket are multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 (the 10x Power Play multiplier is only available when the jackpot is an estimated $150 million or less). The only exception is the 'Match 5' prize, which is always doubled to $2 million, regardless of the Power Play number drawn.

The multiplier is selected at random just before each drawing. Go to the prizes page to see the expected payouts when you opt in to Power Play.

You must claim any Powerball prizes in the state in which your ticket was purchased. Find out more about how to collect your money on the How to Claim Winnings page.

How to Play Powerball (2024)

FAQs

How to Play Powerball? ›

Powerball® costs $2 per play. In Idaho and Montana, Powerball is bundled with Power Play® for a minimum purchase price of $3 per play. Select five numbers between 1 and 69 for the white balls, then select one number between 1 and 26 for the red Powerball.

How many numbers do you need to win anything on Powerball? ›

Matching two numbers won't win anything in Powerball unless one of the numbers is the Powerball. A ticket matching one of the five numbers and the Powerball is also worth $4. Visit powerball.com for the entire prize chart.

What are the 9 ways to win Powerball? ›

What are the nine prizes for the Powerball?
  • The Powerball - $4. ...
  • 1 number plus the Powerball – still $4. ...
  • 2 numbers plus the Powerball - $7. ...
  • 3 numbers - $7 again. ...
  • 3 numbers plus the Powerball - $100. ...
  • 4 numbers - $100. ...
  • 4 numbers plus the Powerball - $50,000. ...
  • 5 numbers - $1 million.
3 days ago

What happens if you get all 5 numbers but not the Powerball? ›

Matching 5 numbers without the Powerball will get you a cool $1 million while simply matching the Powerball number earns you $4. The good news is that your chances of winning any prize is 1 in 24.9.

Does 2 numbers in Powerball win any money? ›

Match 2 white numbers + Powerball — $7. Match 1 white number + Powerball — $4. Powerball only — $4.

How many ways are there to win money on Powerball? ›

Players win a prize by matching one of the 9 ways to win. The jackpot is won by matching all five white balls in any order and the red Powerball. Jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump-sum payment.

Is there a trick to winning the Powerball? ›

Experts suggest that you should add up the five numbers you pick and try to stay within a target range. The preferred range is between 140 and 240 after your five number are added together. More than half of the winning number combinations fall in that range.

Do Powerball numbers have to be in order? ›

Do I have to match the numbers in the exact order drawn? Powerball® tickets print the white ball numbers in numerical order of a given play. You can match the white ball numbers in any order of a given play to win a prize. The red Powerball number of a given play on your ticket must match the red Powerball drawn.

What's the first thing I should do if I win the Powerball? ›

Sign the back of the ticket immediately and then store it somewhere secure. A safe deposit box at a bank or a safe in your home are good choices. Check with your state's lottery office about their deadlines and rules for claiming the jackpot, which you can do with an anonymous phone call.

How do you win if you only have the Powerball number? ›

Yes, if you just hit the Powerball number, you win $4.

This gives you the $2 purchase of your ticket back, plus an extra $2. According to Powerball's official website, the odds of your ticket matching only the Powerball is 1 in 38.32.

Is there a strategy to playing Powerball? ›

Evenly distribute the numbers among odds and evens

Some Powerball veterans say that because there are an equal number of odd and even numbers for each possible pick in a Powerball string, it follows that the winning combination will tend to comprise an equal number of odd and even numbers.

What is the difference between a 2 dollar and 3 dollar Powerball ticket? ›

The Power Play option — which costs an extra $1.00, turning a $2 ticket into a $3 ticket — does the following: has no effect on the Jackpot/Grand Prize, always doubles the payout of the second-most-lucrative prize, and.

Can you win the Powerball without the Power Play? ›

Power Play does not apply to the US Powerball jackpot, but it can increase all the other prize categories in the game. It can double the $1 million 2nd prize, and it can boost the others to some mouth-watering amounts. In the table below, you can see just how much you stand to win with this amazing multiplier.

How to pick winning Powerball numbers? ›

Using the most commonly drawn winning numbers can increase your chances of winning. The three most common winning numbers overall are 61, 32 and 63. Other top numbers are 21, 36, 69, 39, 23, 59 and 62. Choosing the most commonly drawn Powerball numbers can increase your odds, namely 24, 18, 4, 10 and 21.

Did anyone win Powerball on July 20, 2024? ›

CLEVELAND — Although nobody won the $92 million Powerball jackpot in the latest drawing on Saturday, July 20, 2024, the Ohio Lottery says there were plenty of other prizes hit throughout the state.

Did anyone win Powerball today? ›

There was no jackpot winner in California for this draw. But there are 49,792 winning tickets! Get your ticket for the next draw.

Did anyone win Mega Millions on July 19, 2024? ›

Mega Millions winning numbers for July 19 drawing: Jackpot now worth $279 million. The Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday's drawing has climbed to $279 million after no one won the jackpot on Friday.

How much is the Powerball drawing? ›

The Powerball costs $2 per play. In Pennsylvania, you can buy tickets online: www.pailottery.com/games/draw-games/. Tickets can be bought online as well in New Jersey: njlotto.com. To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

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