By Todd Northrop
Starting with the Wednesday, Jan. 22, Powerball draw, players of the popular multi-state lottery game will have the chance to multiply non-jackpot winning prizes up to five times with the return of the random Powerball Power Play multiplier.
Two years ago Powerball's Power Play feature was changed from a random multiplier to a set of fixed prize increases for winners of non-jackpot prizes who purchased the Power Play option for an extra $1 per play.
(See Powerball multi-state lottery to raise prices, jackpots, Lottery Post, Jan. 3, 2012.)
Now the state lotteries have decided to "go retro" on the Power Play option and revert to the random multplier of old. The Power Play option will remain $1 but, rather than a fixed prize, players will now have a chance to win prizes multiplied 2, 3, 4 or 5 times.
But not every prize level will be a random increase.
Winning the Match 5 prize (all five white balls) with the Power Play option will pay $2 million, regardless of the multiplier number drawn.
"New and different ways to win will bring more excitement for our players," said Karen Bach, director of budget, products and communications for the Arizona Lottery. "We're expecting the return of the enhanced Power Play multiplier to be popular with our players, and we look forward to awarding even bigger prizes to Arizona Powerball winners in the coming months."
The return of the random multiplier is the only change in store for players on Jan. 22, although players are once again able to purchase long-term multi-draw tickets. In the weeks leading up to the Power Play change, state lotteries could not sell multi-draw tickets beyond the drawing prior to the changeover.
New Powerball prize structure
| Power Play Number Drawn | ||||||||
| Match | Base Prize | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| 5 (no Powerball) | $1 million | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million | $2 million | |||
| 4 + Powerball | $10,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 | |||
| 4 (no Powerball) | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | |||
| 3 + Powerball | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | |||
| 3 (no Powerball) | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | |||
| 2 + Powerball | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | |||
| 1 + Powerball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | |||
| 0 + Powerball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | |||
Powerball is now played in 43 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
A 44th Powerball state will be added later this year, as the state of Wyoming has approved a new state lottery with the intention of joining Powerball and other multi-state games. (See Wyoming officially becomes 44th state with a lottery, Lottery Post, Mar. 14, 2013.)
Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.
until the price goes back to $1 a ticket...not interested.
Thanks Powerball: Spending a extra $1.00 is always good news
I never play for second place. Why would I pay an extra buck to play for third to last place? I would rather play $2 on Mega because if I were to win 2nd prize, I could be potentially walking away with $5 million gross before taxes. But I only play for jackpot so $1 will do me.
No thanks! I don't do national lotteries anymore, since certain states always win.
No thanks PB
This might be why my Powerball playslip would'nt work even though i used it for months. I tried 3 playslips, 2 Patels and 1 Ahmed and nothing would let me multi-draw. Ahmed tried telling me you could only buy tickets on certain days.
Another outrageous notion we lottery ticket buyers are told!
Anyhow, since I always play "Powerplay" on my solo row purchased each draw, I'm super pleased that the multiplier is back, I won't be as deeply in the red! So, thanks Powerball lottery administration!
Nah the MM megaplier is better bang for the buck. Now if they went back to the 200k, 400k, 600k. I might've been interested
As Todd said in an earlier thread about this it would be nice if 1 + PB payed more than 0 + PB.
Powerball is becoming expensive.
I think an extra dollar to buy a ticket will probably lessen the chances of luring more people to play. They have to consider the fact that why not just stick to a one dollar ticket and buy two of that than spending two dollars and have one chance together with that multiplier thing. they have to know the certainty that people are practical nowadays and as much as I like the multiplier it is disregarded in the jackpot. So if it is disregarded in the jackpot that everyone wants why waste a dollar more? for second place? third? No one wants to be that what all want is the jackpot.
I'd consider it if the 5+0 prize was multiplied but asking me to spend another dollar to potentially multiply the smaller prizes is almost an insult.
"In the weeks leading up to the Power Play change, state lotteries could not sell multi-draw tickets beyond the drawing prior to the changeover."
Yeah, PB kept saying you could buy multi-picks in diminishing amounts up to the change, but you couldn't.
You couldn't even buy one multi-pick.
And you still can't.
I tried again tonight and the machine kept spittin' the slip out until I took off the multipick.
Makes absolutly no sense, power play number 5 pays the same as 4,3 and 2?
I agree I seem to hit 1+ Powerball often!
Are you kidding me? This so called New Powerball prize structure is just pure bullcrap. The power play multiplier does not apply to the 2nd prize...REALLY?. All the other subsidiary prizes do not offer much either. These guys at MUSL must really have the utmost disdain for players. I guess the master plan is to find the easiest way to separate you from your money. This is just a ripoff.
Crazy that the 2nd prize can't be X2, 3, 4, 5........F those idiots 3 bucks HECK NOO!!! They are luck I buy the regular. We should stop then maybe when Mega Millions keeps doing better they will make other changes. This is crazy..........At least Mega Millions went from 1 to 2 also had better things for 2nd prize if you spend a extra dollar.
So..... the 4 plus PB used to pay $40,000.00. POWERBALL is potentially saving tens of thousands of dollars and giving back a few hundred ? Someone please tell me if I am wrong. Help me understand why I should be excited about this chaange.....
Actions speak louder than words. If everyone would quit buying the PB tickets then they would have to lower the price or up the prizes. I haven't bought a PB ticket in quite a while
To be honest with you, when Powerball first come out it was alright the way the lottery had it. Now the Mega Millions came along and its better play than the Powerball. These people want to generate more money the way they can. I'm comfortable playing my Mega millions. Powerball being greedy right now. I stay with my Mega Millions. No thanks Powerball. It just for dummiest that don't really understand the game. This is the biggest Rip off.
The odds of matching 1 + 1 are twice as high as matching 1 + 0 (111 to 1 and 55 to 1). Don't give PB any ideas because MM pays half of the 1 + 1 payoff for matching 0 + 1. Want PB to lower the 0 + 1 payoff to $2?
A race horse with odds of 111 to 1 is called a long shot, a $2 bet will pay off $224, but the horse must win or the player collects nothing. With PB and MM, players are betting against the jackpot odds and the annuity payoff is close to the jackpot odds against on many of the wins. The secondary payoffs are consolation prizes so a $2 a ticket PB player is not betting $2 matching on 1 + 1 at 111 to 1 odds.
The multiplier option is a side bet and players are betting $1 to get multiples of any secondary prizes (with the exception of matching 5 + 0) they might win. Odds wise, it's difficult to say which game's multiplier is a better bet because in MM a lucky player can win up to $5 million, but the same $1 bet on another ticket could win a much higher jackpot.
Mega Millions is looking better than Powerball. $1.00 per play and if you play the Megaplier you could win up to $5 Million dollars if you match 5+0.
It makes sense to spend some money on Mega Millions and Powerball SOMEDAY.
Powerball is considered a premium jackpot game. You do not have to wait forever to see a $100M annuity jackpot. I would not mind spending $2 on powerball someday.
The lottery is in the business of making money. It pays so much less than what it takes in.The lottery takes .50 cents of every $1 spent automatically.
Yes it sucks that power play with Powerball cost $3 instead of $2. But the uproar about it seems a bit over the top. People complaining that they'd ONLY win $2 million if they got 5+0....REALLY? I think these huge jackpots have made people jaded and delusional about about what a potential $2 million prize could do in their lives. Some are the same people who buy $20 scratch off tickets. Trust me, i get it, the extra buck makes a difference i know. But the righteous indignation i dont get sorry. I would pay $ 5 if that was the cost. You only really need ONE ticket to win anyway, as many of the recent MAJOR winners have illustrated. All it means is that i'd actually spend less, with virtually the same odds, instead of buying so many darn $1 tickets and stil not winning a blooming thing. : ))
Buying a $2 Megaplier Quick Pick Ticket and a $3 Power Play Quick Pick Ticket is too expensive in the long run.