Powerball FAQs

Draws occur on every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday around 10:59 p.m. ET.

Powerball draws are held at the Multi-State Lottery Association head office in Tallahassee, Florida.

Powerball can be played in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Players pick five numbers from 1 to 69 plus a Powerball number from 1 to 26. Players can also choose the Power Play, which can multiply any non-jackpot winnings. In some jurisdictions, players can also choose to add Double Play, which allows them to participate in a secondary draw for a chance at additional prizes.

It’s the sixth number on your ticket, ranging between 1 and 26. Matching it wins you at least $4.

The Quick Pick option uses a computer to randomly select numbers for your ticket.

Power Play multiplies all non-jackpot winnings by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10, depending on the multiplier number selected before the draw. Power Play is available in all U.S. states except California.

Double Play gives players another chance at winning with their numbers in a second draw with a top cash prize of $10 million. Double Play is available in Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington.

No, all prizes must be claimed in the same jurisdiction as they were bought.

Jackpot winners have the option of receiving their prize as an annuity or a cash lump sum. In the annuity option, the jackpot is split into 30 annual payments paid over 29 years. To compare the two options, see our annuity cash converter tool.

The annuity is invested in government bonds over 29 years, allowing payments to increase by 5% each year. Check out our annuity payment schedule page to estimate these annual payments.

You can check the latest numbers on our Powerball page, or use our Powerball number checker.

For all filing statuses, Powerball jackpots are subject to federal taxes. In most states, winners will also owe state taxes on lottery winnings over certain amounts. See our tax calculator to learn more about how much you will owe if you win the jackpot.