How Power Play Works in Powerball

What is Power Play?

Power Play is a multiplier which is applied to any prizes you win apart from the jackpot. However, you need to opt in to Power Play when you buy your ticket by marking the relevant box on your playslip. It costs an extra $1 per play, so you would have to pay $3 in total if you were buying a single line of numbers, $6 for two lines, and so on.

When the Powerball drawing takes place, a Power Play number is also announced. This number is selected at random and will be either 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10. If you have won a prize of $50,000 (Match 4 + Powerball) or less, the amount will be multiplied by the value of the Power Play number if you have added this option to your ticket.

Anyone who matches five numbers without the Powerball will see their award doubled from $1 million to $2 million, regardless of which Power Play number is selected. Go to the Prizes page to see all the payouts you can get from opting in to Power Play.

The 10x Multiplier

The 10x Power Play multiplier is only available when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less, as an added incentive to take part when the top prize is on the relatively low side. If the 10x multiplier is selected, it is therefore possible to win in the third prize tier and still get $500,000.

Considering this rule, the best time to add Power Play to your ticket is before the jackpot has exceeded $150 million. There is a better chance that you will receive a larger payout if you win in one of the lower categories, while the odds of landing the top prize remain the same.

Power Play Odds

The odds of each Power Play option being drawn are not the same. The 2x multiplier is most likely to be selected, followed by the 3x, 4x, 5x and, when available, the 10x. The table below shows the chances of each multiplier being drawn.

How Many Ticket Holders Add Power Play?

The majority of players do not add the Power Play option to their ticket. On average, the percentage of prize winners who add Power Play is between 20 and 24 percent when the jackpot is $150 million or less. When the jackpot is larger, even fewer players add Power Play, dropping to around 14 to 16 percent of prize winners.

New and infrequent players are attracted to the game as the jackpot gets bigger, while the focus becomes increasingly on just trying to win the top prize. But if you add Power Play you are boosting your chances of landing a larger payout in eight of the nine prize categories. Choose your numbers and check the payouts straight after the next drawing to see how much you have won.