How to Play US Powerball
To take part in the next Powerball draw:
- Pick five white numbers out of a pool of 69
- Pick one red Powerball number out of a pool of 26
If you match all of the numbers drawn during the particular draw, you will hit the jackpot. The jackpots start at 40 million dollars and increase with each rollover.
If you're interested in the Power Play option, please move to the next section.
To win any of the US Powerball's secondary prizes, check the prize breakdown below.
US Powerball - Prize Breakdown
There are nine ways to win Powerball. Here’s a breakdown of the winning combinations and the approximate prize amounts:
| Numbers Matched | Powerball (Bonus Number) Matched | Prize |
| 5 | YES | Jackpot |
| 5 | NO | $1,000,000 |
| 4 | YES | $50,000 |
| 4 | NO | $100 |
| 3 | YES | $100 |
| 3 | NO | $7 |
| 2 | YES | $7 |
| 1 | YES | $4 |
| 0 | YES | $4 |
The jackpot could be paid in 30 annual payments or a cash lump sum payment.
The second prize is one million dollars paid in cash only.
You win by matching at least three white ball numbers. Any time you match the red Powerball number, you win a prize.
All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date.
If there is no jackpot winner, the jackpot rolls over to the next Powerball drawing.
What Is Power Play and How It Could Help You?
Power Play is an additional option in playing US Powerball that can multiply non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times!
Before each drawing, the multiplier number is randomly selected.
The 10X multiplier only applies when the advertised jackpot annuity is $150 million or less.
With Power Play, the Match 5 prize always stands at $2 million.
The Power Play feature does not apply to the US Powerball jackpot, only non-jackpot prizes.
Boosting your winnings is as simple as selecting the Power Play option on your entry form, plus matching one of the secondary prize divisions.
| Numbers Matched | Prize | 2X | 3X | 4X | 5X | 10X |
| 5 + Powerball | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot |
| 5 | 1,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| 4 + Powerball | $50,000 | $100,000 | $150,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| 4 | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 + Bonus Ball | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 2 + Powerball | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 1 + Powerball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
| Powerball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
For instance, if you won the Powerball third division prize of $50,000, the Power Play option would be able to increase your winnings to $500,000!
Interesting Facts about the US Powerball
1. Powerball currently holds the record for the largest jackpot in world history. As of November 7, 2022, the jackpot had grown to $2.04 billion, making it the largest lottery jackpot ever. The single winning ticket was sold in Altadena, California. The winning numbers were 10, 33, 41, 47, and 56. The Powerball number was 10.
2. On January 13, 2016 Powerball jackpot rolled over to a whopping $1,586,400,000 and was split by 3 tickets.
3. On August 23, 2017, 53-year-old Mavis Wanczyk, mother of two, won the third-largest Powerball jackpot in U.S. history ($758 million). It was the largest jackpot ever won by a single ticket in North America.
4. The person who won the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot ($590.5 million) is Gloria Mackenzie. The 84-year-old got lucky because another person allowed her to go ahead in the line and purchase a quick-pick ticket.
5. A few years ago, Powerball changed the value of the tickets and the size of the five numbers prize – it became one million dollars. Since introducing this new prize, 730 people have ended up being one million dollars richer after playing the game.
6. In 2003, 110 people won the second Powerball prize by matching five out of six numbers, which had never happened before. The funniest thing was that all the winners picked the same numbers: 22, 28, 32, 33, and 39. US Powerball lottery officials had to investigate and determine that all winners picked their numbers after getting the same fortune from fortune cookies manufactured in Queens.
7. Powerball is a massive game that produces a considerable number of winners. Solely during the October 10, 2015 draw, 452,986 winners won non-jackpot prizes totaling 4,088,091 dollars!
