ACTIVITY

How to Play the Lottery Game

Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Players choose five numbers from a set of 69 white balls and one number from a set of 26 red Powerballs. If they get all six numbers right, they win the jackpot. The odds of winning are one in 292.2 million.

The largest jackpot ever won was in January 2016, when three winners split a prize advertised at $1.586 billion. Each took their share of the cash value, which added up to $983.5 million.

There are two ways to play the Powerball game: purchase a ticket or use an interactive Web site. To play online, visit the Powerball website, select your state and enter your information.

Alternatively, players can play on the go from their mobile phones or tablets using a dedicated app for the game. The app, available for both iOS and Android devices, provides results, drawings and other details. The app also has a “quick pick” feature, which allows players to select their own numbers without having to wait for the drawing.

When you play on the go, you can also choose your prize amount. There are multiple prize levels for each play, ranging from $2 to $10 million. Some of the prizes have a 10x multiplier, which increases the payout by an additional factor.

In addition to the main jackpot, players can win secondary prizes if their number combinations match the numbers drawn in each drawing. These prizes are called PowerPlay prizes and range from doubling the Match 5 prize to multiplying other non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times.

For an additional $1 per wager, you can add the optional “Power Play” feature to your ticket. The feature can double the Match 5 prize and increase other non-jackpot prizes by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X.

Some participating lottery sites allow a player to play more than once, using a special “REPLAY” feature. If the player loses all their tickets, they can play a new set for another chance to win.

If you’ve purchased a Powerball ticket and want to change your numbers, you can request a REPLAY from the Lottery Retailer. Your new ticket will have the REPLAY “R” printed on it.

Unlike other lottery games, Powerball allows players to opt for cash or annuity if they win the jackpot. In most cases, a jackpot winner must make their choice within 60 days, although some states, such as Florida and Missouri, require that the player choose cash immediately.

The annuity option pays the jackpot amount to the winner annually over 29 years, while the cash option pays a fixed sum. Depending on the jurisdiction in which the jackpot winner lives, winnings from a cash option can be taxed as either federal income tax or the state’s income tax.

A cash option is often chosen by lottery players who have a small stake in the jackpot. They want to take home a larger amount of money than they could if they chose an annuity. 파워볼사이트