Complete US Powerball Guide for Australians

US Powerball has been the most popular lottery game in the entire world for years, thanks in no small part to its massive US$2.04 billion jackpot from 2022 that currently holds the title of largest jackpot ever! From its very first draw in 1992 and right up until today, US Powerball has continued to excite lottery fans everywhere. Now that US Powerball has added another draw to its schedule for a total of three draws per week, there's never been a better time to learn everything there is to know about this amazing game! At theLotter Australia, you can participate in US PowerLuck draws, which are entirely based on the US Powerball format. Match official US Powerball tickets now by filling out an entry form online.


What are the US Powerball rules?

From picking numbers to how prizes work and who can play, here are the most important American Powerball rules to know:

  • Playing US Powerball involves picking five regular numbers from a guess range of 1-69 and one additional Powerball number from a guess range of 1-26. Winning the jackpot requires matching all six numbers, but even matching only the additional number is enough for a secondary prize.

  • US Powerball features nine prize divisions which can be increased by the optional Power Play multiplier.

  • The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1:292,201,338, making it one of the three most difficult lotteries to win in the entire world.

What are some US Powerball rules changes?

what are the us powerball rules

Over time, American Powerball has developed and changed its rules and format to suit the times. For example, Power Play was added in 2001 to boost secondary prizes, while 2012 and 2015 saw changes to the guess ranges for numbers to increase the size of Powerball jackpots. Some of the more recent changes include:

  • On 23 August, 2021, US Powerball introduced a third weekly draw. The game is now drawn on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 11 p.m. EST.

  • While the starting minimum jackpot had been set at US$40 million with a minimum increase of US$10 million for every rollover, in 2020 the lottery lowered the starting jackpot to US$20 million and the minimum increase to US$2 million due to lower ticket sales.

US Powerball vs Mega Millions

These two rival American lotteries actually have quite a bit in common, such as both of their minimum jackpots currently starting at US$20 million, but they also have a few differences. Check out the table below for a full comparison of US Powerball and Mega Millions:

US Powerball vs Mega Millions

Est. US$20 million

Starting Jackpot

Est. US$20 million

5/69 + 1/25 Power Ball

Game Format

5/70 + 1/25 Mega Ball

Mon, Wed, & Sat

Draw Days

Tue & Fri

US$2.04 billion world record

Record Jackpot

US$1.537 billion

Power Play multiplies secondary prizes up to 5 times but doubles the 2nd prize*

Multipliers

Megaplier multiplies secondary prizes up to 5 times including the 2nd prize

9 categories

Prize Categories

9 categories

1:292.223,510

Winning Odds

1:302,575,350

*US$20 million is the estimated starting jackpot for Powerball and Mega Millions. Prize amounts listed above do not account for any relevant taxes; actual winnings will be smaller.


Good luck!

Now that you know how the American Powerball compares to the Australian Powerball, we hope that you are as excited about the game as we are. If you've read enough about Powerball for today and wish instead to starting picking your own numbers and participate in a lottery game, head over and check out our list of top world lotteries. Get your lotto tickets now!

theLotter Australia customers are not purchasing tickets, or participating in nominated foreign lotteries. Our Lottery Supplier Service provides our customers with the opportunity to receive monies equivalent to official prize winnings in those lotteries, less any applicable taxes.