The Powerball jackpot for Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, was estimated to be $270 million with a cash option of $130.4 million. The jackpot was last won on Jan. 1, 2024, when a lucky player in Michigan won the $842.4 million jackpot.
In addition to the Powerball jackpot, the Mega Millions jackpot for the same day was $425 million with a cash option of $202 million.
Powerball drawings are held three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Monday drawings were added in 2021.
The deadline for purchasing Powerball tickets varies by state. In New Jersey, the deadline is 9:59 p.m. on the day of the drawing, while in New York, the deadline is 10 p.m. To find the complete list of Powerball ticket deadline times by state or jurisdiction, click here.
To play Powerball, each player selects five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball. Alternatively, players can choose to have the lottery machine generate a quick pick ticket with random numbers. The cost per ticket is $2, and players can add the Power Play for an additional $1, which can increase the prize amount up to five times the original prize (except for the jackpot and Match 5). When the jackpot is less than $150 million, there is also a possibility of a 10x Power Play.
Prizes in Powerball range from $4 for matching the Powerball to $1 million for matching all five white balls (except in California) to the jackpot for matching all six balls. For a complete list of prize payouts, visit the Powerball website.
Powerball is available in 45 states, as well as Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lottery tickets can be purchased in-person at gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and some airport terminals. In select states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C., and West Virginia, tickets can also be ordered online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
The Powerball drawing is broadcast live on the lottery website at 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. It may also be broadcast on a local television station in your market.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 292,201,338-to-1, while the odds of matching all five white balls are 11,688,053-to-1.
The major lotteries in the United States, including Powerball, offer two jackpot payout options: annuity and cash. The annuity option is paid out over time, with an immediate payment and 29 annual payments increasing by 5% each year. The cash option is a lump sum payment.
In some states, such as New Jersey, lottery winners can remain anonymous. However, in other states, a winner's name and hometown are a matter of public record. Check with your state lottery for more information.
The largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever was $687.8 million, won in the Powerball on Oct. 27, 2018, by two winners in Iowa and New York.
For more information and to play responsibly, visit the Jackpocket website.
