How to play Powerball

The basics

Powerball is played in most US states plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (about 45 states). A few states, including Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah, do not offer it. Draws are held three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights, and the winning numbers are published straight afterwards.

To play, you choose five numbers from 1 to 69 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 26 (the red Powerball). You can pick your own, ask the terminal for a quick pick (random numbers) or mix both. A single play costs $2. Many people add Power Play for $1 extra per play.

Step by step

1. 1Decide your budget before you go. Set a number, and stop at it.
2. 2Fill in a playslip with your numbers, or tell the retailer you want a quick pick. You can use our number generator.
3. 3Choose whether to add Power Play and Double Play where offered.
4. 4Pay, and check the ticket is correct before you leave the counter.
5. 5Sign the back of the ticket straight away. Keep it safe.
6. 6After the draw, check the numbers against the official results. Retailers can scan tickets, and the official apps can too.

Buying online is allowed in some states through the state lottery's official app or website. Use only the official channels, and check that online play is legal where you live.

What Power Play does

Power Play multiplies non-jackpot prizes. A number from 2x to 10x is drawn, with the 10x multiplier only available when the jackpot is below a certain level, and your prize is multiplied by it. It does not change your odds of winning or the jackpot prize. The second-tier prize of $1 million is doubled to $2 million with Power Play, regardless of the multiplier drawn. Whether it is "worth it" depends on how you value the extra $1: its expected value is positive relative to the base prizes but the overall expected value of a Powerball ticket stays below its price.

Powerball prizes and odds

The table shows the base prizes before Power Play. The overall chance of winning any prize is about 1 in 24.87, but nearly all of those prizes are $4 or $7, so a win is usually only a few dollars. The jackpot is shared if more than one ticket matches. You can see these odds, and the chance with several tickets, in our Powerball odds calculator.

The jackpot: annuity or cash

The jackpot advertised is the annuity value: 30 payments over 29 years, each 5% larger than the last. If you choose the cash option, you receive a lump sum, which is typically about half the advertised amount, set by how much the lottery needs to fund the annuity at current interest rates. Both are taxable. Federal tax of 24% is withheld above $5,000, and your real federal rate on a large win can reach 37%. Use the Powerball tax calculator for an estimate, and read our complete guide to lottery taxes.

Claiming a prize

• Small prizes can be claimed at a retailer, usually up to a few hundred dollars. Larger prizes must be claimed at a lottery office or by mail.
• Claim deadlines are set by the state where you bought the ticket, often between 90 days and a year.
• Sign the ticket. Without a signature, whoever holds a ticket may be able to claim it.
• For a jackpot, get advice before you claim. See what to do after you win.

Common mistakes

• Not checking the ticket at the counter. Mistakes happen, and a ticket is a bearer instrument.
• Losing the ticket. Photograph it and keep it safe.
• Believing in hot and cold numbers. Every draw is independent.
• Buying more because the jackpot is huge. A bigger jackpot makes your odds no better. It only sells more tickets, which raises the chance of sharing.
• Playing money you cannot afford to lose.

Is Powerball worth playing?

As an investment, no: the average ticket returns roughly half of its price, and the jackpot odds are around 1 in 292 million. As entertainment, many people feel a $2 ticket is a cheap way to enjoy the dream for a few days. If that is you, treat it as a small, fixed cost and use our spending calculator to see the yearly total. If you want better odds of winning something, smaller games and pool lotteries offer them, with smaller prizes.

A short history of the game

Powerball began in 1992 as the successor to Lotto*America and became a multi-state staple. Its number matrix has changed several times to make jackpots grow larger and rarer: the game moved to 5 of 59 plus 1 of 39 in 2009, 5 of 59 plus 1 of 35 in 2012 and to today's 5 of 69 plus 1 of 26 in October 2015, which lengthened the jackpot odds to 1 in 292 million. That change was followed by record jackpots, including the famous $1.586 billion prize in January 2016, split between three tickets.

Where to buy and how to check

• Authorised retailers in participating states, such as convenience stores and supermarkets.
• The official state lottery app or website, where online play is legal.
• After the draw, check numbers on the official site, in the official app or by scanning at a retailer.
• Do not rely on screenshots or messages from other people to confirm a win.

Budget before you buy

A typical player who buys one $2 play for each of the three weekly draws spends about $312 a year. Add Power Play and it is about $468. Use our lottery spending calculator to see your own yearly total, and set a weekly limit before you reach the counter.