Powerball Changes to Take Effect in October 2015
Wednesday July 8th 2015The way you play Powerball will be changing in the fall, and while it will be harder to win the jackpot, winning smaller prizes will become much easier. The new format will be offered starting on October 4th for the drawing on October 7th. The changes were approved by the New York State Gaming Commission on Monday after a year of flagging sales for the interstate lottery game.
Instead of choosing five main numbers from 1 to 59 and a Powerball from 1 to 35, the game matrix will expand and players will select five main numbers from 1 to 69 and a Powerball from 1 to 26. This move will see the odds of winning the grand prize move from 1 in 175,223,510 to 1 in 292,201,338. However, the odds of winning $4 for matching one number and the Powerball - or just the Powerball - will fall from 1 in 111 to 1 in 92.
Tickets will still cost $2, but the prize amount for matching four main numbers and the Powerball would increase from $10,000 to $50,000. The odds of winning in this tier will change from 1 in 5,153,632 to 1 in 11,688,053.
The Power Play option will also change - if the jackpot is worth $150 million or less, a 10x Power Play option will be possible in addition to the 2x, 3x, 4x and 5x options currently available. Should the jackpot exceed $150 million, the 10x Power Play will not be offered.
You still have time to play Powerball in its current form - after a ticket holder from Missouri won $70 million in the drawing on Saturday, July 4th, the jackpot has reset to $40 million for tonight’s game. Visit the Powerball page to learn more about this great lottery game and the magnificent cash prizes it can offer.
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