The Powerplay VA lottery is a multi-state lottery game operated by the Virginia Lottery. It is drawn every Wednesday and Saturday night and offers players a chance to win jackpot prizes starting at $40 million. Players can multiply non-jackpot prizes up to 10 times by adding the Power Play option for $1 extra per play.
How Does Powerplay VA Lottery Work?
To play Powerball, players select 5 white ball numbers from 1 to 69 and 1 red Powerball number from 1 to 26. Tickets cost $2 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x by adding the Power Play option for $1 extra per play. The Power Play number is randomly drawn before each drawing.
To win the jackpot, players must match all 5 white balls and the red Powerball. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338. Lower tier prizes have the following odds:
- Match 5 white balls: 1 in 11,688,053
- Match 4 white balls + Powerball: 1 in 913,129
- Match 4 white balls: 1 in 36,525
- Match 3 white balls + Powerball: 1 in 14,494
- Match 3 white balls: 1 in 579
- Match 2 white balls + Powerball: 1 in 701
- Match 1 white ball + Powerball: 1 in 91
- Match Powerball only: 1 in 38
Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EST. Tickets can be purchased until 10:00 p.m. on draw nights.
Powerplay Prize Multiplier
Except for the jackpot, all other prizes can be multiplied by the Power Play number drawn before each drawing. Here are the Power Play multipliers:
| Power Play Number | Prize Multiplier |
|---|---|
| 2 | 2x |
| 3 | 3x |
| 4 | 4x |
| 5 | 5x |
| 10 | 10x (for prizes $50,000 and under) |
For example, if you match 4 white balls without the Powerball, you would normally win $100. But if you played the Power Play and the multiplier drawn was 3x, you would win $300 instead.
Powerplay Jackpots
The Powerball jackpot starts at $40 million and continues growing until there is a winner. If no one wins the jackpot, the top prize rolls over to the next drawing. There have been jackpots worth over $1 billion in the past!
Jackpot winners can choose to receive their prize in one lump sum cash payment or as an annuity paid out over 29 years. Most winners opt for the cash prize.
If multiple players win the jackpot, the prize is divided equally among all winning tickets. Winners can remain anonymous in most states.
Odds of Winning Powerplay
The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 24.9. The chances of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292 million. Here are the odds for other Powerball prizes:
| Prize | Odds |
|---|---|
| Match 5 + Powerball | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| Match 5 | 1 in 11,688,053 |
| Match 4 + Powerball | 1 in 913,129 |
| Match 4 | 1 in 36,525 |
| Match 3 + Powerball | 1 in 14,494 |
| Match 3 | 1 in 579 |
| Match 2 + Powerball | 1 in 701 |
| Match 1 + Powerball | 1 in 91 |
| Match Powerball | 1 in 38 |
As you can see, lower tier prizes have reasonable odds while the grand prize jackpot is extremely difficult to win.
Where to Play Powerplay VA Lottery
Powerball tickets can be purchased at over 5,500 lottery retailers across Virginia. You can find authorized retailers in grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores, and other public locations. Tickets can also be purchased online at valottery.com if you are a Virginia resident and register for an account.
Some key facts about playing Powerball in Virginia:
- Must be 18 or older to play
- Tickets can be purchased until 10:00 p.m. on draw nights
- Drawings held at 10:59 p.m. EST on Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Tickets cost $2 per play
- Power Play add-on is $1 extra per play
- Jackpots start at $40 million and roll over if there’s no winner
- Prizes up to $600 can be claimed at any lottery retailer
- Prizes over $600 must be claimed at a Lottery office
Playing Powerball is fun and offers life-changing jackpots starting at $40 million. Good luck!
Biggest Powerplay Jackpot Wins
Here are the largest Powerball jackpot wins to date:
| Amount | Date | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| $1.586 billion | January 13, 2016 | 3 winners from CA, FL, TN |
| $768.4 million | March 27, 2019 | 1 winner from WI |
| $758.7 million | August 23, 2017 | 1 winner from MA |
| $731.1 million | January 20, 2021 | 1 winner from MD |
| $699.8 million | October 4, 2021 | 1 winner from CA |
| $687.8 million | October 27, 2018 | 2 winners from IA, NY |
| $656 million | March 30, 2012 | 3 winners from KS, IL, MD |
| $648 million | December 17, 2013 | 2 winners from CA, GA |
| $590.5 million | May 18, 2013 | 1 winner from FL |
| $587.5 million | November 28, 2012 | 2 winners from AZ, MO |
As you can see, Powerball has produced some massive jackpot winners over the years. Even winning a fraction of these amounts would be life-changing!
Claiming Powerplay Prizes
For Powerball prizes up to $600, you can claim your winnings at any authorized Virginia Lottery retailer. Prizes over $600 must be claimed at one of the five Virginia Lottery offices located in Hampton, Harrisonburg, Richmond, Roanoke, and Woodbridge.
Here is the process for claiming Powerball prizes in Virginia:
- For prizes up to $600, take your winning ticket to any lottery retailer. They will verify your winnings and pay you the amount owed.
- For prizes over $600, you must go to a lottery office in person to claim your prize. Bring a valid photo ID and your winning ticket.
- At the lottery office, they will verify and validate your winning ticket.
- You will complete a claim form including your name, address, and SSN for tax purposes.
- For jackpot wins, you must choose cash or annuity payment. Annuity spreads the winnings over 29 years.
- The lottery office will inform you when you will receive your prize check.
- If claimed by a trust, additional paperwork is required to verify all trustees.
- You can claim prizes up to 180 days after the draw date. Jackpots expire after a year.
Be sure to sign the back of your winning ticket and keep it secure until you present it to claim your prize. Lost or stolen tickets cannot be replaced or refunded!
Powerplay Number Frequency
The Power Play number drawn before each drawing determines the multiplier for prizes below the jackpot level. Here is the frequency of each Power Play number being selected:
| Power Play Number | Multiplier | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2x | 31% |
| 3 | 3x | 21% |
| 4 | 4x | 13% |
| 5 | 5x | 34% |
| 10 | 10x | 1% |
As you can see, the most common multipliers are 2x and 5x. Getting the 10x multiplier is rare but can result in huge prize increases!
Powerplay Number Selection
The Power Play number is drawn from a separate machine just before the main Powerball drawing. Five numbers are available – 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10. Here is how the Power Play number is selected:
- There are 4 balls numbered 2, 3, 4, and 5. These correspond to the 2x, 3x, 4x, and 5x multipliers.
- There is 1 ball numbered 10 which is the 10x multiplier.
- Balls numbered 2-5 are drawn into the Power Play machine.
- The machine randomly selects one ball which is the Power Play number.
- If the 10x ball is selected, the other balls are redrawn until a 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x is picked.
This ensures that the 10x multiplier occurs statistically only once every 43 Power Play drawings. All Power Play drawings are conducted under strict security protocols and audited for fairness.
Winning the Powerball Jackpot
Matching all 5 white balls plus the red Powerball wins the game’s jackpot prize. Here are some key facts about hitting the jackpot:
- Odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292 million.
- Jackpot starts at $40 million and rolls over if there is no winner.
- Jackpots have exceeded $1 billion on three occasions in history.
- Can choose to take annuity paid annually over 29 years or cash option.
- 24% federal tax withholding applies to either jackpot prize option.
- Must match the numbers in exact order on a single ticket to win.
- If multiple winning tickets, jackpot prize is split evenly.
- Jackpot winners can remain anonymous in most states, including Virginia.
Dreaming of what you’d do if you won the Powerball jackpot can be fun, but your odds of beating the 1 in 292 million odds are incredibly small. Focus instead on the smaller prizes which have much better odds of winning.
Powerplay Statistics and Records
Here are some interesting Powerball statistics and records since the game began in 1992:
- Largest jackpot: $1.586 billion on January 13, 2016 (split by 3 winners)
- Most common Powerball number: 32
- Most common Powerball number pair: 6-26
- Total jackpots awarded: 414 (through October 16, 2023)
- Total jackpot amount awarded: Over $25 billion
- Most tickets sold for single drawing: Nearly 200 million on January 13, 2016
- Most number picks matched by 1 player: All 5 white balls and Powerball ( jackpot winners)
- Longest jackpot roll sequence: 37 drawings (May 1999 – July 1999)
- Most prize winners in one drawing: 17 million (January 13, 2016)
Powerball set numerous records with its January 2016 drawing which produced a massive $1.586 billion jackpot split by 3 tickets.
Conclusion
In summary, Powerball is a multi-state lottery game that offers life-changing jackpot prizes starting at $40 million. Players choose 5 numbers from 1-69 plus a Powerball from 1-26 for a chance to match the winning numbers. The Power Play add-on multiplies non-jackpot prizes up to 10 times.
Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EST. Tickets can be purchased in Virginia until 10:00 p.m. on draw nights. Odds of winning the jackpot are exceedingly small at 1 in 292 million, so have realistic expectations when playing.
Powerball is responsible for some of the largest lottery jackpots in history, including a record $1.586 billion shared by 3 winners in January 2016. Even matching a portion of the winning numbers can produce significant secondary prizes. Just remember to play responsibly and never spend more than you can afford to lose.
