Powerball Help and FAQs
We have compiled a list of FAQs related to the Powerball lottery to make sure you have the best possible lottery experience. Cannot find your question here? Get in touch with our Customer Experience Team!
What is Powerball?
Powerball is probably the biggest lottery in the United States. Tickets for the lottery can be purchased in 45 different states, which makes Powerball a multi-state lottery. It is popular amongst Americans as well as most lottery players around the world since jackpots can reach quite high numbers.
When did Powerball start?
On April 22, 1992, the first Powerball draw took place with just 15 lotteries participating. The minimum jackpot back then was $2 million, which was then increased to $10 million in November 1997.
When do Powerball draws take place?
US Powerball draws took place twice a week - on Wednesdays and Saturdays. However, on August 23rd, 2021, a 3rd day was added. This means that the Powerball draws are now every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 22:59 EST.
How to play Powerball?
This can be done in just a few easy steps. Select 5 numbers between 1-69 and one Powerball from 1-26, and complete as many entries as you wish. In case you don’t have your lucky numbers, use the ‘Quick Pick’ button to randomly choose numbers.
How do I know if I won a Powerball prize?
If you win any one of the prizes, we will inform you by email. You can also compare your numbers with the winning numbers from our Powerball results page, which is updated after every draw.
If you are unsure whether you’re one of the lucky winners, you may contact a member of our Customer Experience Team who will be more than happy to answer your questions.
What are the minimum and maximum jackpots?
The Powerball jackpot starts from a whopping $40 million, and lucky for all Powerball players, there is no maximum. The Powerball jackpot keeps rolling over to the next draw until it is won. This means that the jackpot increases with every draw until it lands in someone’s pockets.
What are the prizes and odds of winning?
There are 9 different prize tiers in Powerball, with specific prizes for each tier, except for the jackpot. The top prize is determined by ticket sales, but the minimum jackpot amount is $40 million. If there is more than one winner for a particular prize tier, the prize is divided between the winners.
You can find the different Powerball prize tiers, the odds of winning and the estimated prize amount for each specific tier in the table below:
| Prize Tier | Match | Odds of Winning | Prize * |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 numbers + PowerBall | 1:292,201,338 | Jackpot |
| 2 | 5 numbers | 1:11,688,053 | $1,000,000 |
| 3 | 4 numbers + PowerBall | 1:913,129 | $50,000 |
| 4 | 4 numbers | 1:36,525 | $100 |
| 5 | 3 numbers + PowerBall | 1:14,494 | $100 |
| 6 | 3 numbers | 1:579 | $7 |
| 7 | 2 numbers + PowerBall | 1:701 | $7 |
| 8 | 1 number + PowerBall | 1:91 | $4 |
| 9 | PowerBall | 1:38 | $4 |
* The amounts shown above have been taken from the official Powerball lottery prize breakdown.
How are Powerball top prizes paid out?
If you win the Tier 1 prize in Powerball, which is the jackpot, this will be paid out either as an annual payout over a period of 30 years or as a discounted lump sum.
Winnings from tiers 1, 2, and 3 will have 39.6% deducted, this is the pay-out structure of the Official Lottery Draw in the USA.
What was the biggest Powerball jackpot ever given out?
The biggest Powerball jackpot ever won was an amazing $1.58 billion on January 13, 2016. The prize was shared between three ticket holders in the US: The Nickel 95 Trust, Marvin, and Mae Acosta, and Lisa and John Robinson. All of the winners chose the one-time cash option, landing them with approximately $327.8 million each!
Manuel Franco was another happy Powerball jackpot winner. He participated in the draw of March 27, 2019, which had a massive jackpot of 768.4 million! Mr. Franco chose the cash option which was still a wonderful $477 million.