Powerball Quiz: 8 Questions to Test What You Know (With Answers)

Powerball has been around since 1992, and a lot of what people think they know about it is slightly off. Take this quick quiz, write down your answers, and check them at the bottom. No tricks, only real facts.

The questions

1. How many white balls are in the Powerball drum? A) 59 B) 69 C) 75

2. How many red Powerball numbers are there? A) 15 B) 26 C) 35

3. Roughly what are the odds of winning the jackpot on a single line? A) 1 in 175 million B) 1 in 292 million C) 1 in 1 billion

4. What time, and where, does the drawing take place? A) 11:00 p.m. ET in Atlanta B) 10:59 p.m. ET in Tallahassee C) 10:00 p.m. ET in New York

5. In which year did Powerball add its Monday drawing? A) 2015 B) 2018 C) 2021

6. What is the longest jackpot run on record, counted in drawings? A) 32 B) 47 C) 62

7. Which state calculates non-jackpot Powerball prizes differently from everywhere else? A) Texas B) Florida C) California

8. After a jackpot is won, what does it reset to? A) $10 million B) $20 million C) $50 million

The answers

1. B, 69. The matrix is 69 white balls and 26 red balls. It has been that way since October 2015, when it replaced 59 white and 35 red.

2. B, 26. Five numbers come from the 69 white balls, and one comes from the 26 red ones.

3. B, 1 in 292 million. More precisely, 1 in 292,201,338. Before the 2015 change, it was about 1 in 175 million, which makes today's jackpot roughly 67% harder to win.

4. B, 10:59 p.m. ET in Tallahassee. Drawings are held at the Florida Lottery's studio in Tallahassee, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The 11 p.m. and Atlanta combination belongs to Mega Millions.

5. C, 2021. The Monday drawing began on Aug. 23, 2021, taking Powerball from two drawings a week to three, or 156 a year.

6. B, 47. The longest run ended on Dec. 24, 2025, in the 47th drawing since the previous win. It is counted in drawings, which is one reason records keep growing now that there are three a week.

7. C, California. California law requires lottery prizes to be calculated on a pari-mutuel basis, so non-jackpot prizes there depend on how many players win each night, rather than being a fixed amount.

8. B, $20 million. Powerball resets to $20 million after a win. Mega Millions resets to $50 million, so that is the answer to watch out for.

How did you do?

• 0 to 3 correct: You're in good company. Most of these are details people rarely come across.
• 4 to 6 correct: You know your way around the game.
• 7 to 8 correct: You could write the quiz yourself.

18+. Please play responsibly. If you're concerned about your gambling, or someone else's, free support is available at BeGambleAware.org.