Powerball
Powerball is a multi-state lottery that Illinois has been a part of since 2010. With tickets sold all over the country, it is able to offer jackpots that start at $20 million and can quickly grow into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Draws take place at 9:59 PM CT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Find out more about the game here, including how to play Powerball in Illinois, how to win, and how Power Play can increase the value of prizes.
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How to Play
To play Powerball, you must pick five numbers from 1 to 69, plus a Powerball from 1 to 26. In Illinois, you can take part by going to a retailer or playing online. It costs $2 per line.
Playing Online
It doesn’t take long at all to play Powerball online, as you don’t need to go out to find a store. Just follow the steps below:
Pick five main numbers between 1 and 69 and a Powerball between 1 and 26. The Powerball is drawn from a separate machine, so the same number can appear as a main ball and the Powerball.
Select the Power Play option for an additional $1 to give you the opportunity to win bigger prizes. If you’ve added Power Play and win, any payout below the jackpot will be multiplied.
Specify how many draws you want to play, up to a maximum of 25. You can even subscribe in Illinois so that your numbers will be entered into every draw for up to 12 months.
Add your selections to the cart, review your selections, then complete the purchase of your entries. Once you’ve bought them, your numbers are secure and you can just wait for the draw.
Playing in a Retail Store
It’s easy to play Powerball in a store in Illinois by following the steps below. You do not have to be resident of the state to buy a ticket for Illinois Powerball.
Select your Powerball numbers. If you get a Quick Pick, five random numbers from 1 to 69 and a Powerball from 1 to 26 will be generated for you.
Mark the Power Play box if you want to multiply any non-jackpot wins. Adding Power Play costs an extra $1 per line.
You can tick the box to play in more than one draw if you want to play the same numbers more than once. Tell the retailer how many consecutive drawings you want to enter.
Pay for your ticket and check all the details are correct before you leave the store. You’ll need to keep it safe and check the results after the draw.
You can purchase tickets up to 9:00 PM CT in Illinois. You can also take part in the lottery if you are an Illinois resident but visiting another state that sells tickets. The key Powerball rules are the same everywhere, but if you are in another jurisdiction you may notice a few differences, such as the cut-of time for tickets, the number of draws you can play in advance, or even the age limit. You have to be at least 18 to play Powerball in Illinois, but in a few other states the minimum age is higher.
How to Win
There are nine ways to win in Powerball. Prizes start at $4 for matching just the Powerball on its own, and increase in value as you match more numbers. To win the jackpot, all five of your selected main numbers, plus your Powerball, must be the same as the winning numbers that are drawn. The minimum grand prize is $20 million, but it quickly increases when nobody wins and there’s no cap on how high it can go. The jackpot is shared if there are multiple winners, but every other payout is a fixed amount per winner.
Prizes and Odds
The following table shows all the different ways to win, along with the prize amount and the odds of winning. You are guaranteed a prize as long as you match the Powerball, otherwise you need to match at least three of the five main numbers.
| Numbers Matched | Prize | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + Powerball | Jackpot | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| 5 | $1 million | 1 in 11,688,053 |
| 4 + Powerball | $50,000 | 1 in 913,219 |
| 4 | $100 | 1 in 36,525 |
| 3 + Powerball | $100 | 1 in 14,494 |
| 3 | $7 | 1 in 579 |
| 2 + Powerball | $7 | 1 in 701 |
| 1 + Powerball | $4 | 1 in 91 |
| Powerball only | $4 | 1 in 38 |
| The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.87 | ||
Power Play
The Power Play multiplier increases the value of non-jackpot prizes if you have paid the extra $1 per line to add this option to your ticket. The multiplier is decided by a separate draw and is either 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x. The 10x multiplier is only included in the Power Play draw when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or below.
If you win a prize, it will be multiplied by the Power Play number drawn. The only exception is the Match 5 prize, which is always automatically doubled to $2 million regardless of the outcome of the draw. Power Play does not apply to the jackpot. The following table shows the prizes you can win with Power Play.
| Numbers Matched | 2x | 3x | 4x | 5x | 10x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 + Powerball | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot |
| 5 | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million |
| 4 + Powerball | $100,000 | $150,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| 4 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 + Powerball | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 2 + Powerball | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 1 + Powerball | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
| Powerball only | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
Payment Options
If you win the Powerball jackpot, you can choose whether to take the money as an annuity or a lump sum. The advertised jackpot amount represents the annuity, which is paid out over 29 years and takes into account investments that would be made over that time. The cash option is a lower figure, based on how much money is in the pot at the time of the draw. Both options are subject to taxes.
If you want to take the cash sum, you have to make sure you claim the prize within 60 days of the draw. If you don’t, you will have no choice but to take the annuity. Go to the Cash vs Annuity page for more information.
You have one year to claim prizes in Illinois. The process for collecting your money depends on how much you have won. Head over to the How to Claim page to find out what you need to do.