Holder of the world record for the biggest jackpot with its $2.04 billion prize of 2022, the US Powerball is the world’s most popular lottery. But, how does it work? What are the rules of the game? Can you play it online?
Yes, you can play Powerball online from anywhere in the world and we are going to tell you how. Your aim is to scoop the enormous first prize, which starts at $20 million. There is no cap for the Powerball jackpot, so the top prize can grow unlimitedly. Every time that the top prize remains unclaimed, it rolls over increasing its value until somebody eventually wins it. The current Powerball record stands at $2.04 million, but with every rollover, there is a chance it could be broken.
US Powerball Rules
If you want to win the Powerball jackpot, then the first thing you have to do is to play the game. The process is very simple – for every line you play in the game, you have to:
| Choose your 5 main numbers from 1 to 69. |
| Choose your Powerball number from 1 to 26. |
| Add the Power Play multiplier to your ticket – optional feature. |
If you match all five numbers and the Powerball, you win the top prize. By guessing just the main numbers and not the Powerball, you can qualify for the $1 million second prize.
For a small fee, you can play with the Power Play multiplier. With this extra feature, you can boost non-jackpot prizes 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 10 times. One dollar goes a long way with Power Play!
When is the Powerball Draw?
The official draws of the US Powerball take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 23:00 EST. You have to put in your tickets for the draw before the cutoff time to make sure you are entered in the game. Each draw comes with a new jackpot and the full set of Powerball prizes.
How to Play Powerball Online
The Powerball is the biggest lottery in the United States, but you do not have to be a U.S. citizen or travel to America to play the game. There is a simple and convenient way to play the US Powerball lottery online from anywhere you are. You can use the online services of theLotter, the world-leading lottery messenger service.
There are many advantages to playing Powerball online on theLotter. The company provides secure purchases, multiple ways to engage with the Powerball lottery, discounts for passionate players, and live support via chat or toll-free phone calls.
To play the game, all you have to do is choose between a standard game, a syndicate, and a bundle. The standard game has a minimum offer of 3 lines, but you can choose to play up to 25 lines at once. You can either choose the numbers for each line manually or click on Quick Pick to get random numbers. Then, hit the play button and you are almost done.
theLotter services save you the trouble of traveling to the United States to buy Powerball tickets. While you comfortably sit on your couch, there’s a local agent who buys the tickets for you, with the numbers you chose. Before the draw takes place, you can see a scanned copy of the already purchased tickets in your theLotter account.
Pick the Best Play Format for You
When you play Powerball online on theLotter, you can expand your lottery experience with some advanced play formats. These will exponentially increase your chances of winning the Powerball, which makes them worth your attention. Here are the main formats you can try online:
Syndicates – Playing a Powerball syndicate means joining a group of registered players just like you. A syndicate includes a large number of tickets and the total price is divided into equal shares that you can buy. This means that you can have a lot of tickets in the game without making a colossal investment. If one or more tickets in the group have the winning numbers for Powerball prizes, the payout will be divided between the members of the syndicate according to the shares that they have purchased. For example, if a syndicate has a total of 100 shares, then the amount of the prize will be divided into 100. Another advantage is that you don’t have to do anything to organize a syndicate when playing Powerball online with theLotter.
Bundles – If you thought it couldn’t get any better than this, let us tell you about bundles! These allow you to boost your odds of winning even more than syndicates do. Bundles are a great combination of a standard play and a syndicate. They always feature an individual ticket and at least one syndicate share. With bundles, you have multiple package choices, depending on the number of syndicate shares they include: Classic, Deluxe, and Premium.
Systematic Forms – On theLotter, you can play Powerball with every possible combination of 6 to 10 of your lucky numbers. This means that you will go into the game with a lot of tickets and a higher chance of scooping a prize. If you match even some of the winning numbers, you will have them on several tickets, which means that you can win more prizes. With systematic forms, you get your very own Powerball multiplier. If you also add Power Play to your tickets, you can boost your winnings through the roof.
The Powerball Prizes
There are 9 prize divisions in total in the US Powerball. The top prize begins at a mouth-watering $40 million and it only goes up from there. In fact, the Powerball was the first lottery to ever pass the $1 billion threshold. In 2016, it has set the world record for the largest prize ever awarded with its $1.58 billion pot. It has since been overtaken by the world record of November 7, 2022 when the Powerball offered a $2.04 Billion jackpot. Moreover, this prize was scooped by a single winning ticket from California.
However, there are 8 more reasons for you to play Powerball. One of them is the second prize is worth a full $1 million, and if you play with the Power Play multiplier, you can make it worth $2 million. Even if you only match the Powerball number, you can still win the complimentary 9th prize, which is worth $4.00, and that can get as high as $40.00 with Power Play.
| Prize Division | Match | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Prize | 5+PB | Jackpot |
| 2nd Prize | 5 | $1,000,000 |
| 3rd Prize | 4+PB | $50,000 |
| 4th Prize | 4 | $100 |
| 5th Prize | 3+PB | $100 |
| 6th Prize | 3 | $7 |
| 7th Prize | 2+PB | $7 |
| 8th Prize | 1+PB | $4 |
| 9th Prize | 0+PB | $4 |
The Power Play Multiplier
The US Powerball offers a multiplier called Power Play, which is an optional feature that can increase the prizes in the game 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 10 times. You have to pay an additional $1.00 fee to add the multiplier to your ticket, but it can take your winnings to new heights. The Power Play number is drawn from a separate barrel during the Powerball draw. The multiplier does not apply to the Powerball jackpot, it only increases the secondary prizes in the game. It can double the $1 million second prize and it can increase the other prizes in the game 2, 3, 4, or 5 times. When the jackpot is below the amount of $150 million, a 10x Power Play number is also entered in the game.
Powerball FAQ
We’ve gathered a few of the most frequently asked questions about the US Powerball, along with the answers to them. Take a look!
- How do you play the Powerball lottery?
To play Powerball, you have to choose 5 main numbers from 1 to 69 and a Powerball number from 1 to 26. You have to choose a different set of numbers for each line you want to play.
- Do you win with just the Powerball?
Yes, you can win a prize in the US Powerball by only matching the Powerball number. With this, you qualify for the 9th prize category, which amounts to $4.00.
- How late can I buy Powerball tickets?
You can buy your Powerball tickets up until the cutoff time, which is 22:00 EST. When you play Powerball online, you can set to receive notifications about upcoming draws or you can set up subscriptions to never miss a draw.
- Do you have to be a US citizen to play Powerball?
No, you do not have to be a US citizen to play Powerball. As per the official rules of the game, there is no citizenship restriction regarding participation.
- How many draws is a Powerball ticket good for?
Each Powerball ticket can be used for one draw only. The number selection on the ticket will be compared to the drawn numbers from that day.
- Do the Powerball numbers need to be in order?
No, there is no specific order that the Powerball numbers must be in. You only have to match the drawn main numbers and Powerball to qualify for the prizes in the game. However, the main numbers and the Powerball are not interchangeable as they come with separate guess ranges.
- Do Quick picks ever win the lottery?
Yes, there are many Powerball jackpot winners who have won their fortunes by playing with random combinations of numbers. Probably the best-known example is Gloria MacKenzie, who was 85 at the time of her win. She scooped $590 million back in 2013 on a Quick Pick ticket that she bought after a good Samaritan let her cut in line at the lottery retailer’s office. Sometimes winning is fate!
Now that you know how Powerball works, it is high time you join the lottery players community and play Powerball online!