The Most Complete Powerball Guide
The US Powerball is probably the most known lottery game in the world, also because it is the lottery that offered the biggest jackpot ever when a single winning ticket won US$204 Crore in November 2022! A lot of lotteries are trying to achieve the same amount, but the American Powerball is still in the lead…
From the US Powerball rules to its odds & prizes, discover all there is to know about this amazing American lottery in our Powerball Guide. We tell you all and give you some tips to increase your odds of winning!
1. What are the US Powerball Rules ?
Participating to the US Powerball is easier than it may seem at first: you simply have to select 5 numbers between 1 and 69 + an additional number between 1 and 25, called the Powerball number. If you guess these 6 numbers right, you win the Powerball jackpot! It’s as simple as that! The starting jackpot is of US$2 Crore and it can grow indefinitely… Overall, the American Powerball offers 9 prize categories, so don’t worry if you didn’t get all the right numbers, you can still get a prize!
Whether you play by physically buying your ticket, or by playing online, the US Powerball offers its own multiplier, called the Power Play. By ticking this option on your ticket, you ensure that if you win a second-tier prize, it will automatically be multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 10 times! Don’t miss any draw of this amazing American lottery, on Monday, Wednesday or Saturday!
2. What are the US Powerball Prizes?
The biggest jackpot of the US Powerball to date is also the world record of the biggest jackpot ever offered by a lottery. It is worth US$204 Crore and was won by a single ticket in November 2022. As you probably already know, the US Powerball jackpot can grow until it’s won, there is no maximum cap for it! However, players can get the second prize of US$10 Lakh by matching only the main numbers. They can also win a prize by only guessing the Powerball number. Find out more in our US Powerball prizes table, below:
|
5 + PB
|
Jackpot
|
Jackpot
|
|
5
|
US$10,00,000
|
US$20,00,000
|
|
4 + PB
|
US$50,000
|
X Power Play
|
|
4
|
US$100
|
X Power Play
|
|
3 + PB
|
US$100
|
X Power Play
|
|
3
|
US$7
|
X Power Play
|
|
2 + PB
|
US$7
|
X Power Play
|
|
1 + PB
|
US$4
|
X Power Play
|
|
0 + PB
|
US$4
|
X Power Play
|
*the Power Play can multiply second-tier prizes by 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 10 times if the jackpot didn’t reach US$15 Crore yet.
So, what is the Power Play? The Power Play is Powerball’s own multiplier that you choose to add to your ticket when buying it. If you win a secondary prize, it will automatically be multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 10 (the x10 option is available only if the jackpot doesn’t exceed US$15,00,00,000; otherwise the second prize will be automatically doubled). A great option that slightly add to your Powerball ticket's cost, but that can make a huge difference in the end!
When winning the jackpots, you have 2 options to collect your winnings: annuity option or a one-time lump sum payment. When choosing the annuity option, the winner will therefore receive 30 graduated payments over 29 years. Each payment being increased by 5% and totaling the full amount of the prize. Of course, most players choose the lump sum payment, maybe because they get a big amount of money in once…
You should know that prizes won in the United States are subject to taxation by the state in which the prize was won + by the country of residency of the winner. Moreover, non-residents have slightly higher taxations that inhabitants of the said states.
3. Can You Play Powerball Outside US?
Yes, but not anyhow… Officially, the Powerball rules state that “you do not have to be a {US} citizen or resident to play the game”. On their website, it is also written that “anyone can purchase a Powerball ticket[…] play the game […] and collect prizes”.
However, an American lottery ticket should not leave the American territory to be valid. This is where online platforms such as LottoSmile become useful to players, as they help players to play Powerball legally:
LottoSmile has local offices in most countries, including the United States. Therefore, once you have made your purchase online, local agents will physically buy the tickets, in your name, to the lotteries of your choice. Once bought, you will receive a proof of purchase on your private account on LottoSmile.
You then only have to wait for the lottery results to come but you can register to our free alerts service that will notify you of the results of your choice, as soon as they are validated by lottery officials.
Important notice: LottoSmile does not take any commission on the winnings, the full amount is yours in its entirety!
4. What Are the Odds of Winning Powerball’s Jackpot?
You have one chance in 29.2 Crore to get the Powerball’s Jackpot. These odds may seem hard to beat, but there are plenty of Powerball winners to prove us that winning the Powerball can be more than a dream. A single ticket won the world-record jackpot of US$204 Crore for instance. Overall, the US Powerball offers 9 prize categories and one chance out of 24.9 to get one of them. Find out all about the Powerball’s odds in our table below:
|
Jackpot
|
5 + PB
|
1:29,22,01,338
|
|
2ème prix
|
5
|
1:1,16,88,053
|
|
3ème prix
|
4 + PB
|
1:9,13,129
|
|
4ème prix
|
4
|
1:36,525
|
|
5ème prix
|
3 + PB
|
1:14,494
|
|
6ème prix
|
3
|
1:579
|
|
7ème prix
|
2 + PB
|
1:701
|
|
8ème prix
|
1 + PB
|
1:92
|
|
9ème prix
|
0 + PB
|
1:38
|
5. Which Are Powerball’s Biggest Jackpots?
Not only does the US Powerball holds the world-record of the biggest jackpot ever offered by a lottery game, but it also often makes the news with huge jackpots. Discover the biggest Powerball jackpots in our table below:
|
1
|
7 November 2022
|
US$204 Crore
|
1
|
|
2
|
11 October 2023
|
US$176.5 Crore
|
1
|
|
3
|
13 January 2016
|
US$158 Crore
|
3
|
|
4
|
6 April 2024
|
US$132.6 Crore
|
1
|
|
5
|
19 July 2023
|
US$108 Crore
|
1
|
|
6
|
1 January 2024
|
US$84.24 Crore
|
1
|
|
7
|
27 March 2019
|
US$76.84 Crore
|
1
|
|
8
|
23 August 2017
|
US$75.87 Crore
|
1
|
|
9
|
6 February 2023
|
US$75.46 Crore
|
1
|
|
10
|
20 January 2021
|
US$73.11 Crore
|
1
|
6. Can You Stay Anonymous After Winning the US Powerball?
Well, it depends… To know if you can stay anonymous after winning the US Powerball, it is important to know where your Powerball ticket was purchased as the different US states offer different rules.
However, there are legal ways for you to remain anonymous if you wish so. We advise you to contact a lawyer to get more information on how to remain anonymous after winning at the US Powerball.
In 2018, a winner from New Hampshire got a ruling in his favor, at court, to be able to remain anonymous as he wished, against Powerball’s rules.
7. Powerball’s History
It is in 1992 that the Powerball replaced the Lotto America and started the fantastic lottery we now know as the US Powerball. The first draw took place on April 22, 1992 and it was, back then, the first lottery game to offer two drums. This meant that jackpots could grow higher than what players were used to.
Since then, the US Powerball saw quite a few changes and became the biggest lottery game in the World in 2016 when 3 players shared a giant jackpot of US$158 Crore! Discover the key dates of the US Powerball through time, right here:
8. Which Are the Powerball Lotteries around the World?
The US Powerball is so famous that other lotteries decided to offer their own versions of the Powerball. Find out more about these exciting lottery games, right here:
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⚪ South Africa Powerball - the South Africa Powerball offers 2 draws a week (on Tuesday & Friday), but has less prize-tiers (8). However, the odds are slightly better as you only have to guess 5 main numbers from 1 to 45 and the Powerball number from 1 to 20 at the South Africa Powerball.
🔴 Australia Powerball – the Aussie version of the Powerball also offers 8 prize-tiers, just like the South African version, but you have to guess 7 main numbers from 1 to 35 & the Powerball number from 1 to 20. Also, it only offers a draw per week, on Thursday.
⚪ New-Zealand Powerball – the Powerball from New-Zealand offers no less than 12 prize-tiers! The draw takes place every Saturday and to win the jackpot, you have to guess 6 main numbers between 1 and 40 and the Powerball number between 1 and 10.
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Did you try them all? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section at the end of this article.
9. What Are the US Powerball Game Options available on LottoSmile?
When you choose to participate to the US Powerball on LottoSmile, there are many options that become available to you. These options can help you increase your odds of winning a prize. You can always choose to play standard tickets and choose your own favorite numbers, or you can use the Quick Pick option that selects random numbers for your ticket.
Once you decide which numbers to use, you can tick the Power Play option. This option is Powerball’s very own multiplier that multiplies second-tier prizes up to 10 times!
On LottoSmile, you also have the possibility to join a syndicate and play with other people. Like this, you increase your odds, but without breaking the bank. If you want to play the Powerball in a syndicate, but also play your own ticket, you can do so with our Bundles.
If you don’t ever want to miss a draw, then I guess the subscription is your best option! Moreover, you get every seventh ticket for free when you subscribe to your favorite lottery! What are you waiting for? Good luck!
It is true that the US Powerball is the biggest lottery in the world, for now at least… but, who knows if, and when, will the Mega Millions take the lead. The Powerball vs Mega Millions battle is an epic one that will probably never end. Even though the Mega Millions falls short behind the US Powerball, it is worth mentioning that the Mega Millions holds the world record as the biggest lottery jackpot won by a single player!
These two American lotteries are very similar on many aspects, this is why they both enjoy a well-deserved success worldwide. So, what makes them different? Find out all about it in our table comparing the two, below:
There is no denying that both the US Powerball and the Mega Millions are worthy lotteries that offer dreamy jackpots and this is why they attract players from all around the globe. If you want to read more on Powerball’s concurrent, don’t miss our Mega Millions guide.
You should now know everything there is to know about the US Powerball thanks to our most complete and updated US Powerball guide. However, if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments section below or in our chat, we will be very happy to answer. Now, all you have to do is to try your luck at the amazing American Powerball lottery! We are crossing our fingers for you!