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Odds of Winning the US Powerball |
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Have you ever played the US
Powerball lottery?
Millions of people buy tickets for this lottery every
week. The starting jackpot amount is $40 million, but it often reaches well
into the nine-figure size. The most recent jackpot win was to the value of $244
million and the largest ever jackpot paid out was an astonishing $1.5
billion.
Everyone dreams of winning a life-changing amount of money by
playing the lottery, but the fact is, the odds of winning a big national
lottery like the US Powerball are extremely low. So, what are the actual odds
of winning the US Powerball jackpot?
To win the jackpot you need to
match all five numbers plus the Powerball number. The odds of this happening
are 1 in 292,201,338. The overall odds of winning a prize with a US Powerball
ticket are a more manageable 1 in 24.87.
Here are the odds of winning
the rest of the prizes: |
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- Match 5 / No Powerball Odds: 1 in
11,688,053.52 (Prize: $1,000,000)
- Match 4 / Match Powerball Odds: 1 in
913,129.18 (Prize: $50,000)
- Match 4 / No Powerball Odds: 1 in 36,525.17
(Prize: $100)
- Match 3 / Match Powerball Odds: 1 in
14,494.11 (Prize: $100)
- Match 3 / No Powerball Odds: 1 in 579.76
(Prize: $7)
- Match 2 / Match Powerball Odds: 1 in 701.33
(Prize: $7)
- Match 1 / Match Powerball Odds: 1 in 91.98
(Prize: $4)
- Match Powerball Only Odds: 1 in 38.32
(Prize: $4)
The prize structures above are
for a standard $2 US Powerball ticket. If you add the $1 Power Play feature the
prize you win can be multiplied by 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x. The jackpot, however, can
never be multiplied and the $1 million prize tier can only be doubled. If the
Power Play is 4x and you win the $1 million prize, it'll only double to reach
$2 million.
Each US Powerball ticket will have five numbers between 1-69
and one Powerball number from the range of 1-26. You can pick your own lucky
numbers, or you can select the quick pick option to have your numbers
automatically generated.
There are two weekly draws. One that takes
place on Wednesday, and one on Saturday. Both draws happen at 10:59 PM ET and
you have 59 minutes before the draw begins to purchase your tickets. Keep in
mind that if you're buying your tickets online, you need to get them in earlier
due to the fact that an agent still needs to go to a retail outlet and buy the
tickets on your behalf.
Where is the US Powerball played? The
American
Powerball lottery is played in 44 states, along with Puerto Rico, the
District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands. However, the lottery can be
played and won by anyone in the world. This has helped increase the popularity
of the lottery, which has in turn made every jackpot win massive.
What
if you don't know anyone that lives in the USA? That's where online lottery
concierge services come into play. There are numerous websites that allow
anyone to purchase lottery tickets and not only US Powerball tickets. You can
purchase tickets to lotteries around the world every week, although tickets
cost slightly more than at a traditional retail outlet.
What happens if
you win? Well, it depends on the website and the amount won. Any small payouts
will simply be credited to your account. You can then use the funds to buy more
lottery tickets or withdraw your winnings. Big prizes or jackpots can be
claimed on your own behalf in the United States. Some websites will fly jackpot
winning tickets directly to you. |
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