Powerball Odds
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338. However, there are also eight other prize levels, so the overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.87. Find out more about the Powerball odds and the prizes you can win.
You need to match all five main winning numbers - drawn from 1 to 69 - and the Powerball - drawn from 1 to 26 - to get the jackpot. If you miss out on all the numbers, you can also win by matching fewer numbers, starting from just the Powerball on its own.
The following table shows all the different ways to win, the odds to win for each category and the prize amount. All the prizes below the jackpot are fixed amounts (apart from in California where they are pari-mutuel).
| Prize Level | Your Odds of Winning | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Match 5 + Powerball | 1 in 292,201,338 | Jackpot |
| Match 5 | 1 in 11,688,053 | $1 million |
| Match 4 + Powerball | 1 in 913,129 | $50,000 |
| Match 4 | 1 in 36,525 | $100 |
| Match 3 + Powerball | 1 in 14,494 | $100 |
| Match 3 | 1 in 579 | $7 |
| Match 2 + Powerball | 1 in 701 | $7 |
| Match 1 + Powerball | 1 in 91 | $4 |
| Powerball only | 1 in 38 | $4 |
The jackpot starts at $20 million after it has been won in the previous draw. It increases each time it isn't won and there's no cap or upper limit on how high it can go, so it can sometimes be greater than $1 billion.
Your odds of winning are the same regardless of whether the jackpot is high or low. The only way to increase your chances of winning is to buy more tickets.
Power Play Prizes and Odds
Power Play is an optional feature (apart from in Idaho where it is automatically included and California where it is not available). If you add Power Play and win a non-jackpot prize, it will be multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10.
A Power Play number is randomly selected alongside each draw to determine the size of the multiplier. The Match 5 prize is doubled to $2 million regardless of which Power Play number is drawn. The table below shows what you can win if you include Power Play on your ticket.
| Prize Level | Base Prize Amount | Power Play x2 | Power Play x3 | Power Play x4 | Power Play x5 | Power Play x10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 5 + Powerball | Jackpot | - | - | - | - | - |
| Match 5 | $1 million | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million |
| Match 4 + Powerball | $50,000 | $100,000 | $150,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| Match 4 | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| Match 3 + Powerball | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| Match 3 | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| Match 2 + Powerball | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| Match 1 + Powerball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
| Match Powerball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
The table below shows the odds of each Power Play multiplier being selected. The 10x multiplier is only a possibility when the advertised jackpot is less than $150 million.
| Power Play Multiplier (with 10x) | Odds with a 10x multiplier | Power Play Multiplier (without 10x) | Odds without a 10x multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x | 1 in 43 | 10x | - |
| 5x | 1 in 21.5 | 5x | 1 in 21 |
| 4x | 1 in 14.33 | 4x | 1 in 14 |
| 3x | 1 in 3.31 | 3x | 1 in 3.23 |
| 2x | 1 in 1.79 | 2x | 1 in 1.75 |
Double Play is an extra game that is available in some states, giving your numbers from the main Powerball game another chance to win. A separate drawing takes place, with five numbers drawn from 1 to 69 and a Powerball from 1 to 26.
As Double Play is played in exactly the same way as the main game and there are just as many ways to win, the odds are identical. The prizes are different, though, including a fixed jackpot of $10 million in every draw. Go to the Double Play page for more information.