Grab Your Powerball Ticket for a Chance at the World’s Largest Jackpots
Looking to get your hands on a Powerball ticket? As your one-stop shop for all things Powerball, we give you all the information you need to know about how to get your hands on one. Whether you’re looking to play US Powerball, or if you’d prefer to play the Australian version of Powerball, look no further for info on how to buy your Powerball ticket!
How To Play US Powerball
Before you get yourself a Powerball ticket, it pays to know how to play the game. To play US Powerball, firstly you need to choose how many games you wish to play. There is no minimum amount of games; you can play just a single game if you prefer.
For each individual game you wish to play, there is a total of 69 main numbers (1 to 69) available and from these you must choose 5 numbers.
On top of the main numbers, there is a separate pool of 26 numbers (1 to 26). From these numbers you must choose one single Powerball number.
You can choose to either select all the game numbers yourself, or you can opt for randomly generated sets of numbers. If you wish, you can opt for a mixture by selecting some game numbers yourself and having the system randomly generate the rest. From a statistical point of view, it doesn’t matter how you choose your numbers; there are none that are more (or less) likely than any others to win.
You can also choose to buy the ‘Powerplay’ option for each game on your Powerball ticket. When you buy the Powerplay, if you win a prize in division 2, it will be multiplied by a factor of 2 times. If you win a prize in any divisions between division 3 and 9, that prize will be multiplied by a factor of between 2 times and 10 times, depending on which Powerplay multiplier is in play for that draw.
For those that play Powerball, there is the option to purchase entry in advance to multiple draws. This is called ‘Advance Play’. It gives players confidence that they won’t miss upcoming draws and it also means they don’t have to take the time and effort to enter each draw individually.
Powerball draws occur each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 22:59 USA Eastern Time (this is Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in Australia). Draws take place at the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee. Ticket sales for each draw generally end at 22:00 USA Eastern Time, although for some jurisdictions in the USA ticket sales end a little earlier.
In the majority of US jurisdictions you must be at least 18 years old to buy a US Powerball ticket, however in Nebraska you must be 19, and in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana and Mississippi you must be at least 21.
How To Buy Your Powerball Ticket
Australians are able to buy a Powerball ticket online, however it is strongly recommended that they are purchased through a reputable Australian website. Ideally, they should be Australian Government licensed and preferably Australian owned. The website through which you purchase your tickets should not purchase tickets on your behalf, such as lottery ‘messenger service’ websites.
Messenger services buy tickets in overseas lotteries on behalf of the player and the player themselves own the ticket. However, as it is requirement to be present in the USA in order to purchase a Powerball ticket, it is not recommended that players opt for this method. In addition, messenger services require that jackpot winners fly to the USA themselves to collect their own lottery winnings from the head office of the relevant state lottery.
To buy a physical (as opposed to online) Powerball ticket, you must be physically located within the United States, in a jurisdiction that sells them (not all US states participate in the US Powerball). People who are not residents of the USA are eligible to purchase a Powerball ticket while they are physically present within a USA jurisdiction that sells them.
How To Play Powerball Australia
When you play Powerball Australian, you’ll find it’s similar in some ways to the US version.
For each game you play, you must select 7 main numbers from a pool of 1 to 35. Additionally, you must also select 1 Powerball number from a different pool of numbers from 1 to 20.
As with US Powerball, you can select the numbers for each game yourself, or you have the ability to have them randomly generated for you. Again, there is no statistical advantage in choosing your own numbers over opting for randomly generated numbers.
You must purchase a minimum of 4 games when playing Australian Powerball; it’s not an option to only play 1, 2, or 3 games.
There is no Powerplay option when you are buying an Australian Powerball ticket meaning you don’t have the opportunity to multiply any prizes.
Instead, with the Australian Powerball you have the option of playing a System Entry. A System Entry lets you select more than the standard amount of numbers allowed in a single game. The system then generates all possible combinations of these numbers, resulting in a higher chance of winning. As they give you better chances of winning than a normal game, they are more expensive. For system entries, you can play between 8 and 20 numbers.
The more numbers you opt to play, the more it will cost. For example, playing 8 numbers is much cheaper than choosing to play 18 numbers, with a system 8 costing $9.70 and a system 18 costing $38,612.05 to play.
It is important to remember that the more numbers you choose, the higher your chances are of winning. You can play Powerball once each week, on Thursday nights.
How To Buy Your Powerball Australia Ticket
If you wish to get a physical Powerball ticket, they can be purchased at one of many retailers Australia-wide.
You simply grab a slip at the retailer and fill it out with a pen; you select your own numbers for each game you wish to play and choose if you want to play a System Entry or a standard game.
You can also go straight to the cashier and ask for them to give you a ticket with randomly generated games numbers on it. You just need to tell them how many games you’d like.
Alternatively, you have the option of becoming a member. You’ll receive a card that you can save your numbers on. If you choose to go this way, your numbers can be saved to your account so that you can play them when you want without having to fill anything out; you just need to scan the card when you buy your games from a retailer.
You must be over 18 years of age to legally purchase a Powerball ticket in Australia.
Increase Your Chances of Buying the Winning Powerball Ticket
While the odds are against you play US Powerball or play Powerball Australia, there are a few things you can do to maximise your chances of winning.
Play consistently
It’s a simple equation. Each time you buy an entry, you give yourself another chance of winning. Therefore the more you play, the more chances you have of winning.
Join a syndicate
By joining a syndicate with other players, you get to increase your chances of winning the jackpot, but for less money. This is because in a syndicate, all the members pool their money together in order to be able to buy more entries. And, as mentioned above, the more entries you have in a draw, the higher the chances of winning. The only downside to a syndicates is that if it wins, the winnings must be divided amongst the syndicate members. In the past this has proven problematic for some syndicates, such as the syndicate that won over $16 million when it decided to play Powerball. One member took the prize money all for himself, and a bitter fight was taken through the courts for all the members to get their rightful share.
Choose unpopular numbers
While choosing unpopular numbers when you buy a Powerball ticket doesn’t increase your chances of winning (although they do have the same chance of winnings as popular numbers, or any numbers), does mean that if you win the jackpot you’re less likely to have to share the money with anyone else.
Stay Informed
Keep up to date with the latest Powerball news, jackpot amounts, and draw results. This will ensure you’re on top of any big draws or news that could be of interest. For example, the rules and draw mechanism do change with both versions of Powerball on occasion. Players should be aware of any differences in how of Powerball works in order to be properly informed when they play.
Have patience and persistence
Buying the winning Powerball ticket is a life-changing event, but the reality is that the odds are stacked against players. The old adage of, “Somebody’s got to win!” is misleading, as there are many Powerball draws that don’t have a jackpot winner. With that being said, patience and persistence does pay off for some players, and who knows, one day you may just be one of the lucky few who hit the jackpot.
Set a budget and stick to it
Playing Powerball should be a fun and exciting experience, not a financial burden. While playing more does increase your chances of winning, there are no guarantees of a win when playing Powerball, or any lottery. Playing should not come at the expense of any financial commitments or savings goals. It's important to set a budget for your lottery spending and adhere to it. This will prevent you from overspending and ensure you're only playing with money you can afford to lose.
Be aware of scams
Scams are becoming ever more prevalent and sophisticated in the digital age. Everyone should take care when online and it’s no different when you play Powerball. Only play online with reputable Australian owned and Government licensed websites.
Stay anonymous
If you are lucky enough to win a Powerball jackpot, we strongly recommend keeping your identity as a winner under wraps as much as possible. While some US jurisdictions require that Powerball winners reveal their identity, thankfully that’s not the case in Australia, and winner can keep their identity a secret. This helps winner keep their lives as normal as possible.
Here’s hoping your next Powerball ticket is the one that gets you total financial freedom. Good luck!