Powerball
Powerball is one of the most popular lottery games in the Unites States and is played across 48 jurisdictions, including Washington DC, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Powerball is drawn three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights and, with giant jackpots worth a minimum of $20 million, attract huge ticket sales for every draw.
One of the reasons for Powerball’s success is that, unless there is a jackpot winner, the top prize will continue to roll over until it’s won. While some other lotteries impose ‘caps’ on jackpot amounts, this rollover facility has led to some spectacular Powerball jackpots with the highest reaching a staggering $2.04 billion. Powerball jackpot winners can opt to receive their winnings either in a cash lump sum or in an annuity which is paid out in annual instalments over 30 years. The jackpot figure is based on the total value of the annuity, meaning the actual cash prize will be less than advertised.
Latest Powerball Results
Wednesday December 25th 2024
Prize Breakdown for December 25th 2024
| Prize Level | Prize | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| Match 5 plus Powerball | $124,100,000 | 0 (Rollover!) |
| Match 5 | $1,000,000 | 0 |
| Match 4 plus Powerball | $50,000 | 11 |
| Match 4 | $100.00 | 254 |
| Match 3 plus Powerball | $100.00 | 683 |
| Match 3 | $7.00 | 15,657 |
| Match 2 plus Powerball | $7.00 | 13,444 |
| Match 1 plus Powerball | $4.00 | 97,810 |
| Match 0 plus Powerball | $4.00 | 225,143 |
| Match 5 (with Power Play) | $2,000,000 | 1 |
| Match 4 plus Powerball (with Power Play) | $150,000 | 2 |
| Match 4 (with Power Play) | $300.00 | 92 |
| Match 3 plus Powerball (with Power Play) | $300.00 | 222 |
| Match 3 (with Power Play) | $21.00 | 5,078 |
| Match 2 plus Powerball (with Power Play) | $21.00 | 4,511 |
| Match 1 plus Powerball (with Power Play) | $12.00 | 32,819 |
| Match 0 plus Powerball (with Power Play) | $12.00 | 75,606 |
Previous Powerball Results
Monday December 23rd 2024
Saturday December 21st 2024
Wednesday December 18th 2024
Monday December 16th 2024
To win the Powerball jackpot you must match all five of the main numbers chosen from a pool of 1 to 69 along with the Powerball number, which is chosen from a second pool of between 1 and 26. However, if you don’t match all six of these numbers there are eight further prizes on offer, each with a set value regardless of how many players win in that particular prize tier. The exception to the rule is California, where the secondary tier prizes are pari-mutuel (which means they are made up of a percentage of the ticket sales).
For an additional charge, Powerball players can choose the Power Play option which will multiply winnings by as much as 10 times in certain prize tiers. The prizes available to win in the Powerball are:
| Match | Odds of Winning | Estimated Prize Fund |
|---|---|---|
| Match 5 plus Powerball | 1 in 292,201,338 | Jackpot |
| Match 5 | 1 in 11,688,053.52 | $1 million |
| Match 4 plus Powerball | 1 in 913,129.18 | $50,000 |
| Match 4 | 1 in 36,525.16 | $100 |
| Match 3 plus Powerball | 1 in 14,494.11 | $100 |
| Match 3 | 1 in 579.76 | $7 |
| Match 2 plus Powerball | 1 in 701.32 | $7 |
| Match 1 plus Powerball | 1 in 91.97 | $4 |
| Only Powerball | 1 in 38.32 | $4 |
Facts About the Powerball
- The highest Powerball jackpot won to date stands at $2.04 billion, which was won in California on November 7, 2022. This is not only the largest lottery prize ever offered, it is also the largest jackpot won by a single ticket holder.
- The second-biggest jackpot ever was $1.76 billion and was won in October 2023. This top prize was won by a single ticket purchased in Kern County, at Midway Market and Liquor in Frazier Park, California.
- Powerball held its first draw on the 22nd April 1992 and replaced the US lottery known as Lotto*America, which started in 1988.
- California joined Powerball in April 2013 and sold a record breaking $3 million worth of tickets in the first 24 hour period.