How To Play Powerball
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.
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:
Sales cut-off times vary by one to two hours before the drawing, depending on the selling jurisdiction.
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. You can also use Quick Picks to help you decide on your number if you would prefer.
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 combo costs $2, but the total price of your ticket will depend on how many combos 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 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.
Claiming Prizes
You must claim any Powerball prizes in the state in which your ticket was purchased. In general, you can claim a prize of up to $599 from any licensed lottery retailer. Above that value, the rules for claiming a Powerball prize differ by state but it is likely that you will need to visit a local lottery office or headquarters. Find out more about how to collect your money on the How to Claim Winnings page.
If you played online, prizes are paid directly into your player account. You can then withdraw the funds or use them to enter future draws.