how powerball works
Tips & Tricks

How Powerball Works

Meet “America’s Game”

Powerball is easy to play. And there are MILLIONS of good reasons to get in the game.

Powerball Lottery in a Nutshell…

Powerball is a multi-state lottery game that’s available in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Cost: $2.00

Powerball Jackpots: Start at $20 million and are determined by ticket sales

Drawings: Mondays, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 pm ET

Overall odds of winning: 1 in 24.9

Biggest Powerball jackpot in history: $2.04 billion (November 2022)

Last jackpot won: The last Powerball jackpot was won in Ohio on April 19, 2023.

How to Play Powerball

First, pick your Powerball numbers! Pick 5 regular numbers from 1–69 and 1 red Powerball number from 1–26. You can Quick Pick or choose your own lucky numbers. Hitting the jackpot means matching all 5 numbers (in any order) plus the Powerball.

🟦 TIP: Get Powerball from the couch, gym, or break room when you order your Powerball ticket on Jackpocket lottery app. Easy peasy.

What is a Power Play?

For an extra $1 per game, you can add the Power Play to your ticket. This multiplies your prize — not including the jackpot — by up to ten times. The “multiplier” number is drawn and announced along with the winning numbers. Take note: the 10X multiplier is only available for jackpots less than $150 million.

Powerball Prizes

Including hitting the jackpot, there are 9 ways you can win a Powerball prize. 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.

A breakdown of prizes and odds for Powerball
Match Win Odds
5 numbers + Powerball Jackpot 1 in 292,201,338
5 numbers $1,000,000 1 in 11,688,053
4 numbers + Powerball $50,000 1 in 931,001
4 numbers $100 11 in 36,525.17
3 numbers + Powerball $100 1 in 14,494.11
3 numbers $7 1 in 579.76
2 numbers + Powerball $7 11 in 701.33
1 number + Powerball $4 1 in 91.98
Powerball only $4 1 in 38.32

What Happens If You Win Powerball?

If you bought your Powerball ticket in person from a lottery retailer, check your state lottery website for more information on how to claim your prize. It can vary state to state.

Lucky for you, when you order your Powerball tickets on Jackpocket, we automatically alert you when you win! Smaller lottery prizes (usually under $600) go straight to your Jackpocket account. For larger prizes, we arrange to have the ticket securely transferred to you so you can claim your prize from the state lottery. 

Now that you know how to play Powerball, you’re ready for the next drawing. Head into the Jackpocket app, and choose those lucky numbers!

Feeling Lucky?

Download the Jackpocket app and choose your lucky numbers

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