Powerball information
The real odds of every Powerball prize, how to read the statistics, practical tips, how to claim a prize and what taxes to expect, where the money goes, how to spot scams and how to keep lottery play healthy.
Healthy play: responsible gaming
Set a budget, know the warning signs and where to find help: the National Problem Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and open 24/7.
How to avoid Powerball scams
You can't win a lottery you didn't enter, and no lottery charges a fee to pay a prize. The most common scams, the red flags and where to report them.
Where Powerball money goes
Half of every drawing's sales go to prizes, and on average 35% stays in the state that sold the ticket to fund public programs. Here's how it works.
Tips for playing Powerball
No trick changes the odds, but some habits help: a budget, less popular numbers, a written pool agreement, a signed ticket and checking every drawing.
Powerball odds: your chances of winning
1 in 292,201,338 for the jackpot, 1 in 24.87 for any prize. Where those numbers come from, the odds of every tier and what does and doesn't change them.
How to read Powerball statistics
Each white ball should come up in about 7% of drawings and each Powerball in about 4%. How to read hot and cold numbers without fooling yourself.
How to claim a Powerball prize
Under $600 at a retailer, larger prizes at a claim center or lottery headquarters. Deadlines, documents, taxes and what to do if you win the jackpot.
Playing with the facts in front of you
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338 per play: 11,238,513 ways to pick 5 white balls from 69, times 26 Powerballs. Winning something is far more common, about 1 in 25, because the Powerball alone pays $4. Every tier is in Powerball odds.
No system, statistic or “hot” number changes those odds: every drawing starts from scratch, which is why our statistics help you follow the game, not predict it. What you can control is everything else: how much you spend, where you buy, how you spot a scam and what you do if you win. That's what our tips, how to avoid scams and how to claim a prize are about, along with where the money goes.
If the game ever stops being fun, responsible gaming explains the warning signs and where to find free, confidential help 24/7. Lottery tickets are for adults only: 18 or older in most states.