Every Powerball ticket is split three ways: prizes, public programs in the state where it was sold, and the cost of running the game. On average, 35% of each $2 ticket stays in that state to support public programs and services. Here's how the money is divided, who decides where it goes, and what happens to prizes nobody claims.
Half goes back to players
Under the Powerball rules, 50% of the sales for each drawing go into the prize pool. The biggest share funds the jackpot; the rest pays the set prizes and tops up reserve accounts that guarantee them.
In other words, about half of what's spent on Powerball comes back as prizes, most of it spread across many small winners and a few large ones. How the jackpot grows from that pool is in the Powerball jackpot.
About a third stays in your state
According to Powerball, on average 35% of every $2 ticket stays in the jurisdiction where it's sold, to support public programs and services. Powerball is a shared game, but the money isn't pooled for good causes: each state keeps what its own players raise.
The rest of the ticket price covers retailer commissions and the costs of running the lottery, from terminals and security to the drawing itself.
Each state decides what it funds
Powerball is sold by 48 lotteries, and each one follows its own laws. The money that funds public programs stays with the lottery that sold the ticket, so a ticket bought in Georgia helps fund Georgia's programs and one bought in Texas, those of Texas.
Some lotteries put everything into a single fund, often for education; others share it among several causes or send it to the state's general budget.
Where the money goes in each state
| State | Main beneficiaries |
|---|---|
| Arizona | Mostly the state General Fund, plus university construction bonds, the Heritage Fund (wildlife), mass transit, health and other state programs |
| Arkansas | College scholarships (Arkansas Academic Challenge and Workforce Challenge scholarships) |
| California | Public education: K-12 schools, community colleges, California State University and University of California |
| Colorado | The outdoors: Great Outdoors Colorado, the Conservation Trust Fund and Colorado Parks and Wildlife; overflow money goes to school construction (BEST) |
| Connecticut | State General Fund (education, health, human services, public safety and other state services) |
| Delaware | State General Fund |
| Washington, D.C. | District General Fund (education, recreation and parks, public safety, housing, senior and child services) |
| Florida | Education, through the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (including Bright Futures scholarships) |
| Georgia | HOPE scholarships and grants, and Pre-K |
| Idaho | Public school facilities (62.5%) and the Permanent Building Fund for state buildings, mostly on college campuses (37.5%) |
| Illinois | K-12 education (Common School Fund), plus specialty causes funded by dedicated scratch tickets |
| Indiana | Teachers' Retirement Fund and local police and firefighters' pensions ($30 million each a year); the rest goes to the state Lottery Surplus Fund, which helps lower vehicle excise taxes |
| Iowa | Mostly the state General Fund, plus the Veterans Trust Fund |
| Kansas | Economic development, prisons and juvenile detention, mental health, veterans and problem gambling programs; the rest goes to the State General Fund |
| Kentucky | College scholarships and grants (KEES, College Access Program, Kentucky Tuition Grant and others) |
| Louisiana | K-12 public education (Minimum Foundation Program); the first $500,000 a year goes to problem gambling programs |
| Maine | State General Fund, plus the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund (from a dedicated instant game) |
| Maryland | Mostly the state General Fund, plus several dedicated state funds |
| Massachusetts | Unrestricted local aid to the state's 351 cities and towns; profits from online sales fund early childhood education and care grants |
| Michigan | K-12 education (School Aid Fund) |
| Minnesota | State General Fund (60%) and the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (40%) |
| Mississippi | Roads and bridges (State Highway Fund, first $80 million a year), then education (Education Enhancement Fund) |
| Missouri | Public education |
| Montana | STEM and healthcare scholarships first; the rest goes to the state General Fund |
| Nebraska | Education (44.5%), the Nebraska Environmental Trust (44.5%), the State Fair (10%) and problem gambling assistance (1%) |
| New Hampshire | Public education (all net profits go to the Education Trust Fund for state aid to school districts) |
| New Jersey | The state pension system for teachers, police officers, firefighters and other public employees (since 2017) |
| New Mexico | College tuition through the Legislative Lottery Scholarship |
| New York | Public education (Lottery Aid to Education for school districts) |
| North Carolina | Education: school construction, school support staff, NC Pre-K, college scholarships and school transportation |
| North Dakota | Mostly the State General Fund, plus a multi-jurisdictional drug task force grant fund and problem gambling treatment |
| Ohio | K-12 education (Lottery Profits Education Fund) |
| Oklahoma | Education (Oklahoma Education Lottery Trust Fund): K-12, higher education and CareerTech, school consolidation and teachers' retirement |
| Oregon | Public schools, jobs and economic development, state parks, watersheds and wildlife habitats, Outdoor School and veterans' services |
| Pennsylvania | Programs for older adults (property tax and rent rebates, prescription assistance, free and reduced-fare transit, local Area Agencies on Aging) |
| Puerto Rico | Rent and home-repair aid for low-income seniors, the municipalities (35% of the net balance, through the Municipal Revenue Equalization Fund), University of Puerto Rico scholarships and a catastrophic illness fund; the rest goes to the General Fund |
| Rhode Island | State General Fund |
| South Carolina | Education: college scholarships (LIFE, HOPE, Palmetto Fellows) plus K-12 and other education programs chosen by the General Assembly |
| South Dakota | State General Fund (70% of lotto proceeds) and water, environment and highway projects through the Capital Construction Fund (30%) |
| Tennessee | Education: HOPE and other college scholarships and grants, plus after-school programs |
| Texas | Public education (Foundation School Fund) and veterans (Fund for Veterans' Assistance) |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Public school programs (Education Initiative Fund), prescription assistance for seniors, retirees' bonuses (GERS), veterans, local nonprofits and the territory's General Fund |
| Vermont | Public education (state Education Fund) |
| Virginia | K-12 public education |
| Washington | Mainly the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account (college financial aid and early learning), plus the state General Fund, economic development and problem gambling programs |
| West Virginia | Education, senior services, tourism and state parks, the General Fund and other state programs, including PROMISE scholarships |
| Wisconsin | Property tax relief for homeowners (Lottery and Gaming Credit) |
| Wyoming | Wyoming's cities, towns and counties (unrestricted funds) |
Every state lottery publishes where its money goes, usually in its annual report or in a section of its website about beneficiaries. Look up yours to see what your tickets help fund.
And in the UK
Since July 2026, Powerball tickets are also sold in the United Kingdom. Money raised there stays in the UK and goes to National Lottery good causes, just as money raised in each U.S. state stays in that state.
What happens to unclaimed prizes
Each year, some winning tickets are never cashed. Unclaimed prizes are kept by the lottery that sold the ticket, which uses them as its state's law requires, for example for other prizes or public programs.
An unclaimed jackpot is different: the money is returned to all the lotteries in proportion to their sales during that jackpot run. To avoid adding to the pile, check your tickets in Powerball results before the deadline, which is between 90 days and one year depending on the state.
Taxes on prizes
Large prizes send more money to the public purse: federal taxes on every prize over $5,000 and, in most states, state income tax as well. That's covered in how to claim a Powerball prize.
A good cause, not a donation
Knowing part of your ticket funds public programs is a nice bonus, but it doesn't make playing more a good deed. If you want to support a cause, a direct donation does more. Play Powerball for fun, within a budget: see responsible gaming.
Frequently asked questions
How much of a Powerball ticket goes to prizes?
Half. The Powerball rules put 50% of each drawing's sales into the prize pool, which funds the jackpot and the set prizes.
Where does Powerball money go in my state?
On average, 35% of each $2 ticket stays in the state where it's sold for public programs. Each state decides the beneficiaries by law: they're in the table on this page.
What happens to unclaimed Powerball prizes?
The lottery that sold the ticket keeps them and uses them as its state law says. An unclaimed jackpot is returned to all the lotteries in proportion to their sales.
Last reviewed: . Independent information: official results are published by the lottery that runs the game.