What is the US Powerball?
The Powerball is a lottery in the U.S. which makes use of 69 balls (with number 1-69 on them) and 26 Powerball numbers (with number 1-26 on them). To play this lottery, you’re required to pick five numbers from 1-69 as well as a powerball number from 1-26. Where the five numbers with your Powerball number match the winning numbers, you’ve hit jackpot.
How does the jackpot work?
The odds for hitting Jackpot are estimated to be at 1 in 292,201,338. Therefore, you really need a lot of luck on your side to win. The US Powerball Jackpot is won when your five selected numbers and Jackpot number match the winning numbers. Jackpot begins at $40million (Rs.287 crores), with a $10million rollover each time it’s not won. In that the jackpot keeps increasing until someone wins.
In fact, where you fail to win the Jackpot prize, you could still win a second prize. There is a second prize of a million dollars up for grabs. This amount of money may not be as high as the Jackpot win, but it’s definitely life-changing also.
What I find really great about the Jackpot is it is unlimited. Currently, the Jackpot record stands at $1.586billion (over Rs.11280 crore) which was won by 3 winners in 2016. With more players around the world, it’s only a matter of time before this recent record gets broken. Who knows, you might be the next multimillionaire.
How does the payout works?
For jackpot payouts, you can get paid in a lump sum or over 30 years. Lump sum payouts get a portion of the payment deducted. A payment over 30 years gives you one payment yearly.
Payouts are based on selections of yours which match the called numbers. This gives you up to 200x to 300x the ticket cost. So, if you purchased your ticket at $2 and matched just the Powerball number, you could acquire about $400.
This table explains how payout works based on how your ticket matched winning numbers.
| Number | Prize |
| No matched number + Powerball no. | ₹207 |
| One matched number + Powerball no. | ₹275 |
| Two matched numbers + Powerball no. | ₹500 |
| Three matched numbers | ₹500 |
| Three matched numbers + Powerball no. | ₹7000 |
| Four matched numbers | ₹7000 |
| Four matched numbers + Powerball no. | ₹7Lakh |
| Five matched numbers | ₹1crore |
| Five matched numbers + Powerball no. | ₹100crores |
How to buy US Powerball tickets in India
To buy a ticket, simply register with an online lottery sites that offer Powerball and which accepts players from India. Then make a deposit and buy your Powerball ticket.
There are various operators through which you can partake in the US lottery right from India. Though it’s possible to find tickets being resold, you gain more benefits when you play at the lottery through online lottery websites. When making a choice of operators, you should look out for:
- If the site accepts players from India.
- Beneficial promos and bonuses (for example, Lottos247 offers a free Powerball ticket to all new players)
- Payment methods (it’s easier to make payments from another payment methods than your Indian bank account)
- Responsive customer support
Powerball lottery ticket prices
Tickets are really cheap. You can easily purchase tickets for as low as $2 per ticket (about ₹140). If you want to add the Power Play feature you have to add another $1 per ticket (about ₹70).
Bare in mind that even though online lottery sites accept players from India, most of them only accepts payments in USD or Euros.
Is it legal to buy Powerball tickets in India?
Yes. The ban on lotteries in India only concerns lotteries located inside the country. As the US Powerball draw occurs outside India and the sites that sells the tickets are located outside of India (but in countries where online lottery is legal), there are no laws preventing Indian residents for buying tickets at these sites.
How to play US Powerball from India
When you buy a Powerball ticket online, you’ll be shown 20 tickets which permit you to choose one or multiple tickets. You’ll have to select 5 numbers plus a bonus number from each ticket.
While selecting your numbers, you can do this manually or make use of “Quick Pick”, an option which makes a random selection for you. You’ll be notified of the date on which the draw will take place on the website.
Once you select your numbers, it’s possible for you to purchase more tickets and select a different set of numbers. After selecting the numbers, payment is required and then you’ll have to be patient till the day of the draw.
It is important to note that Powerball has variants, these include Single Game, System Game and Group Play. They are discussed further below.
System game
Under this variant, there’s a heightened possibility of winning through a selection of multiple number combos. It’s possible to select from 1 combination (with five numbers) up to 792 (with twelve numbers). Relying on the system game considerably improves players odds to win.
Group play
This is quite self-descriptive. Group play in Powerball entails deciding to play with a group of persons, could be your family or colleagues. This style of playing aids in splitting ticket costs and boosting players’ odds. Here, a combination of numbers from 5-12 with two bonus numbers as the max.
After your combination has been selected, it is required that you mention your group’s name, together with its members. Where there are winnings to be shared, this is automatically done by the site.
Hot and cold number
The terms, hot and cold are used to label the frequency or rarity of numbers during Powerball draws. By hot numbers, these are those numbers which frequently appear in each draw. Currently, these numbers include numbers such as 16, 20, 23, 32, 41.
However, cold numbers are those which have been hardly drawn. For instance, most of them include numbers like 60, 65, 66, 67, 68.
Apart from these, there are also some numbers regarded as being overdue, such numbers are usually picked by many lottery players.
Please remember that the numbers on Powerball is randomly chosen and that you cannot actually make a future prediction based on historical data.
US Powerball Power Play
While playing the Powerball online, there is a possibility of adding to your lines the Power Play Multipliers. The Power Play can enhance the secondary prize amounts by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or even up to 10x. The Power Play does not apply to the jackpot prize.
To add the Power Play multipliers, all you have to do is select the Power Play option on your entry for $1 extra per ticket (about ₹70).
This is how it works
$1 million is usually the second-tier prize on PowerBall. But with the Power Play multiplier this can easily get doubled to $2 million.
Prize winnings from the 3rd to 9th prize divisions get multiplied by 3x, 4x or up to 5x based on the power play number that was drawn. If you, for example, win $50,000 you could instead get $250,000
If the Jackpot is about $150 million or less, multiplier of 10x gets included.
In this table you can check out how much your secondary prize will get boosted with the PowerBall Power Play feature.
| Match | No Power Play | Power Play x2 | Power Play x3 |
| 5+ PB | Min. $40 million | Min. $40 million | Min. $40 million |
| 5 | $1 million | $2 million | $2 million |
| 4 + PB | $50,000 | $100,000 | $150,000 |
| 4 | $100.00 | $200.00 | $300.00 |
| 3 + PB | $100.00 | $200.00 | $300.00 |
| 3 | $7.00 | $14.00 | $21.00 |
| 2 + PB | $7.00 | $14.00 | $21.00 |
| 1 + PB | $4.00 | $8.00 | $12.00 |
| 0 + PB | $4.00 | $8.00 | $12.00 |
| Match | Power Play x4 | Power Play x5 | Power Play x10 |
| 5+ PB | Min. $40 million | Min. $40 million | Min. $40 million |
| 5 | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million |
| 4 + PB | $200,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| 4 | $400.00 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| 3 + PB | $400.00 | $500.00 | $1,000 |
| 3 | $28.00 | $35.00 | $70.00 |
| 2 + PB | $28.00 | $35.00 | $70.00 |
| 1 + PB | $16.00 | $20.00 | $40.00 |
| 0 + PB | $16.00 | $20.00 | $40.00 |
Tips on how to win the US Powerball
Mix it up: even & odds
While making a selection of your numbers, you should include a mixture of even and odd numbers. This is because most winnings include even and odd numbers, tickets which have been solely odd or even occur just about 4 in 100 times.
Mix it up: high & low
You can also select through the various number fields, that is between (1 to 69 & 1 to 26). You’ll have to acquire the complete numbers field and equally divide it. Since the first set has 69 numbers, the lower half can include between 1-34, whereas the upper half can include between 35-69.
Similar to what was stated above, it is also rare to find winning numbers which are solely high or solely low. Therefore, it is important for you to make a selection of about 2 higher numbers and 3 lower numbers or vice versa.
US Powerball winners online
Several people have had their lives changed for the better through playing the US powerball online. For instance, there was a winner from UK (B.U) in 2012 who won $1million upon his fifth entry into the lottery draw.
There was an Australian winner (Mr. G) who won the second prize from an October 2016 draw through playing from theLotter lottery website. Also, a Canadian (Mr. P) won $1 million from a February 2016 draw. There was also a winner from El Salvador (Mr. H) who played on theLotter and won the $1 million consolation after failing to win the Jackpot prize. Also, in 2017, up to 55 players played as a group on theLotter and won up to $106,000 together with third-division prizes worth $50,000.
There have also been Indian winners of the Powerball lottery. A student, Nirmal Dhamodarasamy, of University of Illinois won $1,000,000 in 2016. There was also an Indian American winner, Nandlall Mangal, who won the $245.6 million sole jackpot-winning ticket from the August 11, 2018 Powerball drawing.
| Online Winners | Amount won |
| B.U from UK | $1,000,000 |
| Mr. G from Australia | $1,000,000 |
| Mr. P from Canada | $1,000,000 |
| Mr. H from El Salvador | $1,000,000 |
FAQ
Can I play US Powerball tickets from India?
Yes. You can participate and win in the US Powerball by registering with legal international online lottery sites.
How much does a Powerball ticket in India cost?
A Powerball tickets in India costs $2 (about 140₹).
When are the US Powerball draws?
The draws take place every Wednesday and Saturday at 23:00 EST (Thursdays and Sundays at 08:30 AM in India.)
What are the chances of winning at Powerball?
Your chances of winning are 1 in 292,201,338.
What is the biggest US Powerball jackpot of all time?
Currently, the Jackpot record stands at $1.586billion (over Rs.11229 crore) which was won by 3 winners who played as a group in 2016.
Do I have to pay taxes on my winnings?
All online lottery winnings above ₹10,000 are subject to a 30% flat tax. But if winnings are less than ₹10,000, no tax is required to be paid. However you still have to file Income Tax returns for the year indicate the amount won.
Can I be sure I get my prize?
Yes. So far you register with the recommended lottery sites, you can rest assured your prizes are 100% yours. The lottery sites merely act as agents and most times do not take commission fees so your prize is given to you as you’ve won it.
What is Power Play?
Power play is a multiplier which can help improve your winnings. It helps to enhance secondary prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or even up to 10x.
Do I need to pay a fee to collect Powerball winnings?
No. There is no extra fee required to be paid to access your winnings.
How do I collect Powerball winnings?
If you win the Powerball, the online lottery site will claim your price for you and deposit it into your unclaimed winnings wallet. No commissions are taken from your winnings. The online lottery site then contacts you through the email you registered with.