Idaho Powerball To Include Power Play on Every Ticket

Big changes are coming to Powerball, with a third weekly drawing added to the schedule for the first time in the game’s history. The new draw day will be Monday, with jackpots expected to grow even more quickly now that players across the U.S. have a chance to win three times a week.

The first Monday draw will take place on August 23rd and sales will begin a day earlier, but in Idaho you will also see another key difference when you purchase your tickets.

The cost of one line will increase from $2 to $3, but it will automatically include PowerPlay. This is a feature that has previously been optional, costing an extra $1 on top of the standard $2 entry price.

With Power Play, any non-jackpot prize you win is multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10, depending on the Power Play number that is randomly selected alongside the main draw. The only exception is the Match 5 prize, which is always doubled from $1 million to $2 million regardless of which Power Play number is drawn.

Explaining why Power Play would now be included with every ticket, Idaho Lottery Director Jeff Anderson said: “Many Idaho Powerball winners in the past year already include the Power Play option, and we have heard from many others who wished they had included Power Play to make their wins even larger.”

Idaho’s Favourite Game

Idaho’s future participation in Powerball had appeared in doubt earlier this year under plans to expand the game internationally, as state laws only allow for residents to play lotteries staged in the U.S. and Canada.

However, Idaho did not have to withdraw as the international expansion has been put on hold, and Anderson is delighted that the game will be able to keep generating vital revenue for the state.

He said: “Last March, it looked as if players would lose the choice to play Powerball. However, the decision by the Powerball Game Group to include other countries in Powerball and begin international sales was delayed until 2022.  Idaho’s favorite game continues to be offered in Idaho and players have the freedom to enjoy playing a game they’ve loved for three decades. In fact, Powerball’s contribution to our annual dividend this year was more than any other single game.”

Anderson believes the addition of a Monday draw will help to create even more excitement, six years after the last set of major changes were made to Powerball and resulted in an avalanche of record-breaking big jackpots.

“Powerball is the most popular lottery game in the country," said Anderson. “It has been Idaho’s favorite game since we helped establish it with 12 other lotteries nearly 30 years ago.  After nearly a decade of continued success since the last change to the game, the time was right for the Powerball Game Group and the Idaho Lottery to introduce these game enhancements.”