Iowa Lottery

About Powerball

The $2 Powerball game has been enriched with more million dollar prizes, bigger starting jackpots and better odds of winning.

How To Play

Choose 5 out of 59 numbers for the white balls; then choose 1 out of 35 numbers for the Powerball.

Use a play slip to choose your own numbers or request an "easy pick" from the clerk and the lotto terminal will choose the numbers for you. Play more than one drawing by marking the "multi-draw" box on the play slip for 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 consecutive drawings.

Drawings are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:59 p.m. Tickets may be purchased until 8:59 p.m. on the evening of the drawing.

The jackpot begins at $40 million and grows until it's won.

Powerball prizes must be claimed within 365 days of the drawing for which they were eligible.

Power Play

For a chance to multiply your non-jackpot winnings, choose Power Play for an extra $1 by marking the Power Play box on your play slip. Power Play prizes are now set as specific prize amounts. Players who choose the Power Play and match 5 white balls win a $2 million prize. See table below for additional prize information.

Prizes and Odds

Matched Numbers	Prize	Prize with Power Play	Odds
5 + Powerball	Jackpot*	N/A	1 in 175,223,510.00
5	$1 million	$2 million**	1 in 5,153,632.65
4 + Powerball	$10,000	$40,000	1 in 648,975.96
4	$100	$200	1 in 19,087.53
3 + Powerball	$100	$200	1 in 12,244.83
3	$7	$14	1 in 360.14
2 + Powerball	$7	$14	1 in 706.43
1 + Powerball	$4	$12	1 in 110.81
0 + Powerball	$4	$12	1 in 55.41

 

Overall Odds: 1 in 31.85. Odds are based on a single play.

Cash Option vs. Annuity Option

When a player wins the Powerball jackpot, the winner may choose to receive the prize in annuity payments or may elect to take a lump-sum payment. A player has 60 days from the date they claim their prize to choose the "cash" option or the "annuity" option. If the player selects the "cash" option, the prize will be a single cash payment equal to the amount available to the lottery for the jackpot prize pool. The "cash" prize is estimated to be approximately one-half of the estimated jackpot, depending on current interest rates. If the player chooses an annuity, it will be paid in 30 payments over 30 years, and the annual payment will be increased by a rate as determined by lottery officials. If the cost to purchase the annuity is less than $250,000, the lottery may elect to pay the prize as "cash."

History

Powerball, launched in April 1992, is one of the world's best-known lotto games. It offers big jackpots and the chance to win lots of other prizes, too. The largest Powerball jackpot to date was won in November 2012. That $587.5 million jackpot was split by tickets purchased in Arizona and Missouri. The largest Powerball jackpot won in Iowa so far was in June 2012. The Shipping 20, a group of coworkers from the Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids, claimed that $241 million Powerball prize.

 

* The advertised jackpot is based on prize payment as an annuity. The jackpot prize will be divided equally among multiple winners based on the amount available to the lottery for the jackpot prize pool. The set prize amounts published here are based on the expected number of winners sharing in the prize pool. In some cases, these prizes may be paid on a pari-mutuel basis and will be lower than these prizes levels.

**If winners at Match 5 with Power Play level exceed the available prize fund, prizes may be paid on a pari-mutuel basis and be lower than the $2 million prize.

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