Powerball

How Powerball Works

Players select five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. The lottery draws five white balls and one red Powerball. A ticket wins if it matches any combination of the selected numbers and the Powerball, with prize amounts determined by how many numbers match.

The drawing occurs twice per week: Monday and Wednesday at 10:59 PM Eastern Time. Draw results become official once the Multi-State Lottery Association publishes them, typically within hours.

Powerball introduced its current number format in October 2015. Before that, the game used 5/59 + 1/35. The change increased the main pool to 5/69 and reduced the Powerball pool to 1/26, altering odds across all prize tiers.

Prize Tiers and Odds

Powerball has nine prize divisions. The table below shows the structure.

The jackpot is not a fixed amount. It accumulates across all participating states until someone wins. Jackpots can reach several hundred million dollars or higher during multi-week rollovers.

Prize payouts are drawn from revenue after operational costs and state contributions. The jackpot represents a share of total ticket sales, so larger jackpots occur when more tickets are sold across multiple draws without a top-prize winner.

Overall Odds and Expected Value

The probability of winning any prize on a single ticket is approximately 1 in 25. This includes all nine tiers, from the jackpot down to matching the Powerball alone.

Expected value (EV) is negative for all lottery games, including Powerball. A ticket costs $2. The average return to players across all prize tiers is less than the ticket price because state operators retain a portion of revenue for administration and state funds. For reference, lotteries typically return 50 to 60 percent of ticket sales to players as prizes, though this varies by state and draw size.

Syndicates (groups of players sharing tickets) do not change the underlying odds or EV of any single combination. They reduce individual cost and spread potential winnings across more people, but every combination retains the same mathematical probability of occurring.

The jackpot prize is subject to federal tax withholding at 24 percent before payment, and winners face additional federal income tax liability depending on total income. Most states also impose state income tax on lottery winnings. Some states do not tax lottery prizes, while others withhold up to 8 percent. The effective tax burden on a jackpot win typically exceeds 40 percent when federal and state taxes are combined.

Draw Schedule and Timing

Powerball draws occur on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 10:59 PM Eastern Time. Tickets must be purchased before the draw begins. Sales close at different times depending on your state, typically between 10 PM and 11 PM ET on draw nights.

Results are published by the Multi-State Lottery Association. Most state lottery websites and retailers display results within an hour of the official draw. Winners must claim prizes within a set period, usually 180 to 365 days depending on the state.

History and Operator

Powerball launched in 1988 as a regional game run by the MUSL, a non-profit organization of state lotteries. The game expanded to multiple states throughout the 1990s and 2000s. In January 2009, Powerball became available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands.

The MUSL manages draw operations, prize distribution, and compliance with state gaming regulations. Each participating state operates its own retail network and handles ticket sales within its borders. States contribute a portion of ticket revenue to the jackpot pool and operational costs.

The game has grown substantially since 2015 due to format changes and increased jackpots. Large rollovers attract significant media attention and drive ticket sales beyond baseline levels.