US Powerball Guide: How to Play, Price, Odds and Draw Times

How to play US Powerball

For one Powerball play, choose five different white ball numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number from 1 to 26.

Five white balls are drawn from the main set and one red Powerball is drawn separately. Matching all six numbers wins a share of the jackpot.

The game has eight other US prize categories, beginning with matching only the Powerball. Players can select their own numbers or use the authorised lottery's random selection option.

Power Play is optional in participating US jurisdictions. It multiplies qualifying non-jackpot prizes by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or, when available under the rules, 10X. The jackpot itself is never multiplied by Power Play.

Double Play is another optional feature in participating areas and uses a second set of drawn numbers with its own prize table.

Ticket prices and add-ons

A standard US Powerball play costs US$2.

Power Play generally costs an additional US$1 where offered. Double Play also uses an additional stake in participating jurisdictions. Some local lottery configurations can package features differently, so the issuing lottery's checkout price is the final authority.

The 10X Power Play multiplier is available only when the advertised jackpot is at or below the threshold specified in the official rules, currently US$150 million. At larger jackpots, the available multiplier pool is reduced.

The UK began selling Powerball entries in July 2026 through The National Lottery under UK specific sales and lower tier prize arrangements. A UK Powerball entry should therefore be read under the UK National Lottery rules rather than assuming every US payment detail applies identically.

Draw days and times

Powerball is drawn Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59pm Eastern Time.

The drawing is held in the United States. Ticket sales deadlines vary by participating lottery and can be more than an hour before the draw in some jurisdictions.

Eastern Time changes between EST and EDT during the year, so international viewers should account for daylight saving.

The UK joined the sales network in July 2026, with its first eligible drawing on 22 July. UK sales operate under The National Lottery's own cutoff and account system while using the same central jackpot result.

Prizes and odds

The US jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338 per standard play. The overall US chance of winning any prize is about 1 in 24.9.

The jackpot requires five white balls plus the Powerball. Matching five white balls without the Powerball wins a major non-jackpot prize, and Power Play can multiply that category where the option was purchased.

Lower categories reward combinations of white balls and the Powerball according to the official prize table.

The UK version participates in the same central draw and jackpot but can use local lower tier prize amounts and payment rules. Customers should therefore consult the prize table for the lottery that actually issued their entry.

Jackpots, rollovers and records

Powerball jackpots grow when no ticket matches all five white balls plus the Powerball. The advertised jackpot is the estimated annuity amount before tax.

The record Powerball jackpot is US$2.04 billion, won by a ticket sold in California for the 7 November 2022 drawing.

A US jackpot winner can choose between the annuity and the cash option. The annuity consists of one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments, with the annual amounts increasing under the game's graduated payment structure.

The cash option pays the present cash value in one payment. Both options are subject to federal tax and, depending on the selling jurisdiction and winner, state or other taxes.

How to play US Powerball online

Official US online Powerball sales depend on the participating jurisdiction. Some lotteries sell tickets through their own websites or apps, while others rely on authorised retailers or approved courier services.

There is no one US online account that can sell an official ticket to every person in every state. The lottery that issues the entry controls eligibility, age, location and payment rules.

From July 2026, eligible UK players can also enter Powerball through The National Lottery's authorised sales channels under UK rules.

Third party messenger or betting services elsewhere are separate from official US or UK lottery sales and can use a different payout model.

Claiming prizes

Powerball prize claims are handled by the lottery that sold the winning entry.

Claim deadlines, anonymity rules, retailer payment limits and tax withholding vary among US jurisdictions. A winner should use the instructions printed or stored with the ticket rather than a deadline quoted for a different state.

Large US prizes require direct lottery processing and identity procedures. Jackpot winners choose between annuity and cash under the rules of the selling lottery.

UK issued entries follow The National Lottery's UK claim procedures, not a US state's process. The location where the official entry was issued therefore determines the claim route.