Powerball
Official
Site
Powerball is a lotto game played in 29
states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands. Every
Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, there
is a draw of five white balls out of a drum with 55 balls and
one red ball out of a drum with 42 red balls.
Powerball is run by the The Multi-State
Lottery Association (MUSL) a non-profit, government-benefit association
owned and operated by its member lotteries.
Rules of the Game
Players win by matching one of the 9 Ways
to Win. The jackpot (won by matching all five white balls in
any order and the red PowerBall) is either an annuitized prize
paid out over 29 years (30 payments) or a lump sum payment. If
the winner chooses the annuity, the annual payment will be increased
each year by the percentage set out in the Powerball game rules.
You no longer have to select the payment
option at the time of purchase. The tax law has changed to give
you up to 60 days until after you claim the prize to decide whether
you want cash or the annuity option. The second prize (won by
matching five white balls in any order) is $200,000 paid in cash.
Any time you match the red PowerBall, you win. The overall odds
of winning a prize in the game are better than 1 in 37.
Power Play is a special feature that allows
a winner to multiply the original prize amount. Powerball players
can multiply their Powerball prizes by 2,3,4 or 5 times (does
not include the jackpot). A player must choose the Power Play
option when they buy their Powerball ticket, and then the ticket
must match one of the non-jackpot prizes before the multiplier
takes effect.
The Powerball drawing is held at 9:59 p.m.
Central Time [10:59 Eastern; 8:59 p.m. Mountain; 7:59 p.m. Pacific]
in West Des Moines, IA .
Occasionally, the multi-state lottery games
go on the road and are drawn during special events around the
nation, but most of the time the numbers are drawn at Screenscape
Studios in West Des Moines, Iowa. The numbers are drawn in the
presence of multi-state lottery draw officials, an independent
auditor and a security official. The draw equipment is kept in
a double-locked alarmed vault (we can't even get into it unless
the auditors are present). The balls sets are also sealed by
the auditors and all events are audio and video recorded when
the vault is opened. The equipment is tested regularly, including
X-rays and other tests for non-random behavior. The live drawings
are also open to the public.
You must be 18 years or older to play.
Odds
If your 6-number combination matches the
winning 6-number combination (5 winning numbers plus the Power
Ball), then you win or share the First Prize Jackpot. If you
match 5 winning numbers from the white section but fail to match
the winning number from the Power Ball, you win the Second Prize.
For other winning combinations, see chart as follows:
Prize
Level |
Winning
Numbers
Matched Per Game |
Chances
of
Winning per Game |
Prize |
| First |
5 numbers + Power Ball |
1 in 146,107,962.00 |
Grand Prize |
| Second |
5 numbers only |
1 in 3,563,608.83 |
$200,000 |
| Third |
4 numbers + Power Ball |
1 in 584,431.85 |
$10,000 |
| Fourth |
4 numbers |
1 in 14,254.44 |
$100 |
| Fifth |
3 numbers + Power Ball |
1 in 11,927.18 |
$100 |
| Sixth |
2 numbers + Mega Ball |
1 in 290.91 |
$7 |
| Seventh |
3 numbers |
1 in 745.45 |
$7 |
| Eighth |
1 number + Power Ball |
1 in 126.88 |
$4 |
| Ninth |
Power Ball only |
1 in 68.96 |
$3 |
Where the Money Goes
Half of $1 played goes to the lottery system
for state lottery costs and good causes the state lawmakers have
established.
The remaining 50 cents is put into the
prize pools. Powerball puts 30 cents into the CASH jackpot pool
and 20 cents into the other lower prize level pools.
Claiming Prizes
Ticket expiration periods vary from state
to state - from 90 days to one year. They may also change from
time to time. The back of your ticket will give the expiration
period for your state.
History
Formed in 1987, the Multi-State Lottery
Associaton's first multi-state game was "Lotto America".
The game ran four years before being replaced. On April 22, 1992
the first "Powerball" drawing was held. Since then,
"Powerball" has become the number one lottery game
in the United States and is now played in 29 states, the District
of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Return to DCJobSource
|
