Powerball Overview
Powerball is one of the most popular inter-state lotteries and is currently played across 48 states and jurisdictions. Powerball is responsible for paying out impressive jackpots with amounts as high as over $2 billion.
The New Jersey Lottery joined the game in January 2010 and, since then, 11 lucky winners brought the Powerball grand prize back home in the Garden State. Unlike other states, New Jersey offers its players the chance to add the Power Play and Double Play extras to their tickets.
How to Play
You are able to enter the Powerball lottery if you visit one of the authorized NJ Lottery retailers. Here's how you can get involved:
- Select five numbers between 1 and 69, along with a Powerball number from 1 to 26. You can also ask for a Quick Pick ticket if you want to enter using a random set of numbers.
- Decide if you want to add the Power Play option.
- Decide if you want to add the Double Play option.
- Tick the 'Multi Draw' option if you want to enter more than one draw. You are able to play the same set of numbers up to 12 consecutive drawings.
The cost of a Powerball play is $2. Adding the Power Play option or Double Play option each costs an extra $1.
Draws are held three times per week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evenings at approximately 10:59 pm EST.
Power Play
The Power Play option can be added to your Powerball ticket for a chance to multiply the non-jackpot prizes. A Power Play multiplier number is drawn before the main Powerball draw takes place.
If you opted in for the Power Play option and you won a non-jackpot prize, its amount will be multiplied by the Power Play multiplier number. There is however one exception to this rule-if you win a Match 5 prize of $1 million, the prize amount with Power Play will always be $2 million regardless of the multiplier number drawn.
It costs an extra $1 to add this option to your Powerball ticket.
Double Play
There are 10 million reasons for adding the Double Play option to your Powerball ticket as you get a chance to win the top prize worth $10 million! The draw for the Double Play numbers is held right after the Powerball main draw.
You can add the Double Play extra for an additional $1. You are able to add both the Double Play and Power Play options, however the Power Play multiplier does not apply to Double Play prizes.
Odds and Prizes
Powerball has nine prize tiers, meaning you can still win something even though you don't match many winning numbers. For example, only matching the red Powerball number can bring you a $4 prize.
The jackpot starts at $20 million and it rolls over until someone wins it. The other prizes in the lower categories have fixed amounts. Discover the prizes offered with each prize category and your odds of winning:
| Prize | Match | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Jackpot | 5 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| $1 million | 5 numbers | 1 in 11,688,053 |
| $50,000 | 4 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 913,129 |
| $100 | 4 numbers | 1 in 36,525 |
| $100 | 3 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 14,494 |
| $7 | 3 numbers | 1 in 579 |
| $7 | 2 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 701 |
| $4 | 1 number + Powerball | 1 in 91 |
| $4 | Powerball only | 1 in 38 |
The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 24.87.
| Multiplier | x2 | x3 | x4 | x5 | x10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds | 1 in 1.79 | 1 in 3.31 | 1 in 14.33 | 1 in 21.5 | 1 in 43 |
| Base Prize Amount | Match | Power Play x2 | Power Play x3 | Power Play x4 | Power Play x5 | Power Play x10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackpot | 5 numbers + Powerball | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| $1 million | 5 numbers | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million |
| $50,000 | 4 numbers + Powerball | $100,000 | $150,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| $100 | 4 numbers | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| $100 | 3 numbers + Powerball | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| $7 | 3 numbers | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| $7 | 2 numbers + Powerball | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| $4 | 1 number + Powerball | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
| $4 | Powerball only | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
The 10x Power Play muliplier is only available when the Powerball jackpot is worth $150 million or less. Therefore, the odds also chance. Here's what they look like when the 10x multiplier is in place:
| Power Play Multiplier | Odds |
|---|---|
| 10x | 1 in 43 |
| 5x | 1 in 21.5 |
| 4x | 1 in 14.33 |
| 3x | 1 in 3.31 |
| 2x | 1 in 1.79 |
When the jackpot is worth $150 million or more, the 10x Power Play muliplier is not available anymore. Below you can see the odds of the remaining multipliers:
| Power Play Multiplier | Odds |
|---|---|
| 5x | 1 in 21 |
| 4x | 1 in 14 |
| 3x | 1 in 3.23 |
| 2x | 1 in 1.75 |
| Prize | Match | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| $10 million | 5 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| $500,000 | 5 numbers | 1 in 11,688,053 |
| $50,000 | 4 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 913,129 |
| $500 | 4 numbers | 1 in 36,525 |
| $500 | 3 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 14,494 |
| $20 | 3 numbers | 1 in 579 |
| $20 | 2 numbers + Powerball | 1 in 701 |
| $10 | 1 number + Powerball | 1 in 91 |
| $7 | Powerball only | 1 in 38 |