How to play Powerball, where to buy tickets as jackpot surpasses $400 million
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LANSING, MI -- Only two other Powerball jackpots in 2022 have been larger than $420 million grand prize that could be won on Wednesday, Oct. 12. With that large of a prize being up for grabs, people who may not typically play lottery games are starting to take notice as well.
However, if you’re not familiar with how Powerball is played, it can be a little confusing. You can easily walk into an authorized retailer and have them pick your numbers for you, pay for your ticket and be on your way, but where’s the fun in that? This guide will teach you the rules of the game, where you can play and what types of additional wagers you can make.
Powerball is a multi-state lottery game that can be played in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Players select five white numbers that range from 1-69 and a single gold number between 1-26.
In order to win the jackpot, you must match all five white numbers and the red Powerball. However, players can also win prizes for matching as few as one white ball and the Powerball or you can win double your money back by just matching the Powerball. The more numbers you match, the larger your prize will be.
Each ticket with a set of numbers -- five white and one red-- is $2, meaning 10 sets would cost $20. You can also add the “Power Play multiplier” option for $1 extra per ticket which guarantees to multiply your winnings by double up to 10 times the amount if you win. Meaning a $7 win becomes $35 if you play the multiplier and the 5x option comes up. The 10x multiple is only available when the jackpot is less than $150 million.
However, the multiplier does not apply to the grand prize, so you cannot win the jackpot and multiply it. The multiplier also does not apply to $1 million winners, as no matter what the multiplier value is, a $1 million win will only be doubled to $2 million.
Powerball also offers a Double Play option for an additional $1. The game involves a completely separate set of numbers being drawn, but the numbers on your regular Powerball ticket stay the same. If the numbers on your regular Powerball ticket match the Double Play numbers drawn, you can win up to $10 million.
Powerball drawings take place at 11 p.m. EST every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. In Michigan, you can purchase tickets for the drawing until 9:45 p.m. at more than 10,500 lottery retail locations in Michigan. Tickets can be purchased at gas stations, convenience stores, restaurants and more.
The Double Play drawing is not broadcast during the regular Powerball drawing.
If you don’t have time to make it to a retailer ahead of the drawing and are in Michigan, you can also purchase tickets online through the Michigan Lottery website. To do so, you simply need to create an account, add your payment information, find the game you want to play and buy the tickets.
To create an account, visit the website and click “register” near the top of the page. From there you enter your email address, name, birthdate, social security number and other information that the state will use to verify your age/identity and help them contact you in case you win a large prize.
Once you’ve created your account, you can deposit money via credit/debit cards, paypal, online bank transfer and more. The minimum deposit is $10.
When the money is in your account, you can search for the Powerball game and the system will help you get your tickets. You can select your own set of special numbers or use the autofill option and a set of computer generated numbers will be selected for you.
From there, add those tickets to your cart, checkout and your tickets will be stored in your account. The online option is also helpful in that if you win a smaller prize, the money goes right into your account and if you win a large prize, the Lottery will contact you to let you know you’ve won big.
For the latest on Michigan Lottery, check out the official Michigan Lottery site, which also offers more information on instant tickets, raffles and other lottery games.
The last players from Michigan to win a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot is the Wolverine FLL lottery club which claimed a $1.05 billion jackpot in March 2021. With their winnings, the group plans to give back to the community.
And while they were lucky winners, it’s smart for players to check their tickets immediately as a winner worth $1 million sold in Warren last year went unclaimed. The money instead went to the state’s School Aid Fund.
