Powerball Glossary

Powerball.net
Information
Powerball Glossary

Lotteries have their own world of terminology and, on top of that, each game has its own rules, terms, and add-ons. Powerball is no exception! If you're not quite sure what something means or how it works, use this page to look it up. We've gathered a pretty comprehensive list of Powerball words, phrases, and definitions and put together this Powerball Glossary to help you get to grips with this record-breaking draw game. If you're looking to learn more about Powerball, our FAQs Page and Powerball Information Hub might prove useful too.

$546 Million $255 Million CASH LUMP SUM

0Days

0Hrs

0Mins

0Secs

Buy Tickets

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Advance Play / Multi-Draw: Advance Play allows players to purchase tickets for multiple future Powerball drawings in advance using the same set of numbers. The number of consecutive drawings that can be purchased varies by state, typically ranging from 10 to 20 or more draws.

Annuity: The annuity is the default payment method for Powerball jackpot winners, consisting of 30 graduated payments over 29 years. Each payment increases annually by 5% to account for inflation and protect the winner's lifestyle over time. The advertised jackpot amount reflects the total value of all 30 annuity payments. See also: Cash Value, Graduated Payments.

Authorized Retailer: An authorized retailer is any business officially licensed by a state's lottery commission to sell Powerball tickets. These include convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, and other retail locations approved to conduct lottery sales.

Ball Set: The ball set is the complete collection of numbered balls used for official Powerball drawings. Each set contains white balls (1-69) and red Powerball balls (1-26). Multiple identical sets are maintained in secure storage, regularly tested for uniformity, and rotated randomly for drawings.

Cash Option / Cash Value: The cash option is a one-time lump-sum payment that jackpot winners can choose instead of the annuity. This amount is significantly less than the advertised jackpot as it represents the present value needed to fund all 30 years of annuity payments. It's the most popular choice among jackpot winners and is sometimes called the "Lump Sum."

Claim Center: A claim center is an official lottery office where winners must validate and claim large prizes, typically those over a certain threshold like $600. Jackpot winners must always claim their prizes at the lottery's state headquarters.

Claim Form: A claim form is the official document that must be completed and submitted with valid identification when claiming larger prizes. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, but jackpot winners and high-tier prize winners are always required to complete this paperwork.

Claim Period: The claim period is the specific timeframe winners have to claim their prize after a drawing. This period varies by state, typically ranging from 90 days to one year. Unclaimed prizes result in expired tickets and money returned to participating states.

Cut-Off Time: Cut-off time is the deadline for purchasing Powerball tickets before each drawing. Set by individual state lotteries, this deadline is usually one to two hours before the official drawing time, after which no tickets for that evening's draw can be sold.

Double Play®: Double Play is an optional $1 add-on available in select states that enters your Powerball numbers into a separate drawing immediately after the main drawing. This second drawing has its own prize structure, including a fixed top prize of $10,000,000, and Power Play multipliers don't apply to these prizes.

Drawing: A Powerball drawing is the process where winning numbers are selected every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 PM Eastern Time in Tallahassee, Florida. Two machines are used: one draws the five white balls and another draws the single red Powerball.

Game Integrity: Game integrity refers to the security system ensuring every Powerball drawing is conducted fairly without tampering. Key measures include secure equipment storage, independent auditors witnessing procedures, and strict process controls. These protocols guarantee every ticket has an equal chance of winning.

Jackpot: The jackpot is Powerball's top prize, won by matching all five white balls and the red Powerball in any order. Starting at a minimum of $20 million, the jackpot grows with each drawing that produces no jackpot winner. See also: Rollover, Annuity, Cash Value.

Jackpot Cap: A jackpot cap is a maximum limit on prize amounts that some lotteries impose. Powerball doesn't have a strict jackpot cap, allowing prizes to continue growing with each rollover until someone wins.

Jurisdiction: A jurisdiction is any state or territory where Powerball tickets are legally sold. Powerball operates in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Lottery Pool / Syndicate: A lottery pool is when a group of people (often coworkers, friends, or family) combine money to purchase multiple lottery tickets. This strategy increases their odds of winning, with any prizes shared among pool members according to pre-arranged agreements.

Lump Sum: Lump sum is another term for the cash option or cash value payment method.

Match: A match occurs when numbers on your ticket are the same as the winning numbers drawn. Prizes are awarded for various match combinations, from matching only the Powerball up to all six numbers. "Match 5" means matching all five white balls but not the Powerball.

Multiplier: The multiplier is the number drawn during Power Play (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X) that increases the value of non-jackpot prizes for players who purchased this option. See also: Power Play.

MUSL (Multi-State Lottery Association): MUSL is the non-profit, government-benefit association owned by member lotteries that coordinates and administers multi-state lottery games including Powerball and Mega Millions.

Numerology: Numerology is the practice of selecting lottery numbers based on personal significance rather than random chance. Players choose numbers from meaningful dates, convert names to numbers, or use personally significant digits, believing these carry special luck or destiny.

Number Analysis / Lottery Statistics: Lottery statistics and Number Analysis is the practice of analyzing historical lottery results to identify patterns for number selection. Players often look up "hot numbers" (highest draw frequency), "cold numbers" (lowest draw frequency), overdue numbers (gone the longest without being drawn) and more. Despite these patterns, each drawing remains completely random.

Odds: Odds represent the statistical probability of winning specific prizes. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338, while the overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.9.

Pari-Mutuel: Pari-mutuel is a prize payment system where final amounts are determined by total ticket sales and the number of winners in each tier. While Powerball jackpots are always pari-mutuel (split among winners), most non-jackpot prizes are fixed amounts. California is a notable exception where all prize levels are pari-mutuel.

Playslip (or Betting Slip): A playslip is the paper form provided by retailers for players to mark their chosen numbers. Players hand the completed playslip to the retailer, who inserts it into the lottery terminal to generate an official ticket.

Powerball (The Red Ball): The Powerball is the single red number drawn from a separate drum of 26 balls (numbered 1-26). Matching this red ball is crucial for winning the jackpot and several lower-tier prizes.

Power Play®: Power Play is an optional $1 feature that multiplies non-jackpot winnings by a randomly drawn number (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X). Important exceptions: Match 5 prizes are always doubled to $2 million regardless of multiplier, jackpots are never multiplied, and 10X is only available when jackpots are $150 million or less.

Prize Tiers

Power tiers are Powerball's nine different winning levels based on how many white balls and whether the Powerball are matched.

Match	Prize	With Power Play
5 White Balls + Powerball	Jackpot	N/A
5 White Balls	$1,000,000	$2,000,000
4 White Balls + Powerball	$50,000	$100K, $150K, $200K, $250K, $500K
4 White Balls	$100	$200, $300, $400, $500, $1,000
3 White Balls + Powerball	$100	$200, $300, $400, $500, $1,000
3 White Balls	$7	$14, $21, $28, $35, $70
2 White Balls + Powerball	$7	$14, $21, $28, $35, $70
1 White Ball + Powerball	$4	$8, $12, $16, $20, $40
Powerball Only	$4	$8, $12, $16, $20, $40

Quick Pick (QP): Quick Pick is when the lottery terminal's random number generator selects numbers for players instead of manual selection. This is the most common purchasing method, including for many jackpot-winning tickets. Try our number generator, which is similar to a Quick Pick.

Rollover: A rollover occurs when no ticket matches all six numbers to win the jackpot in a drawing. The unclaimed jackpot prize money rolls over and is added to the next drawing, causing the top prize to grow.

Second Prize: Second Prize is the $1,000,000 award for matching all five white balls without the Powerball. This prize doubles to $2,000,000 when the Power Play option is purchased.

Smart Pick / Smart Play: Smart Pick is a number selection method using patterns, statistics, or algorithms rather than random choice. While winning odds remain the same as regular tickets, Smart Picks appeal to players wanting guided selections instead of fully random Quick Picks.

State Lottery Commission: The state lottery commission is the governing authority regulating lottery operations within each jurisdiction. Commissions handle retailer licensing, ticket sales oversight, drawing administration, rule enforcement, and state law compliance.

Terminal: A terminal is the computer system used by authorized retailers to generate tickets, validate winning tickets, and process smaller prize payments.

Ticket: A ticket is the official paper receipt from a lottery terminal serving as proof of purchase. It contains selected numbers, draw dates, and added features like Power Play or Double Play, and is the only valid instrument for claiming prizes.

Validation: Validation is the official process of verifying winning tickets through barcode and serial number scanning. The lottery commission confirms ticket authenticity, draw date, winning numbers, and prize amount before payment.

White Balls: White balls are the first five numbers drawn in Powerball from a drum containing 69 balls numbered 1-69. These numbers can be matched in any order to win prizes.

Winning Numbers: Winning numbers are the official set of numbers selected during each drawing that determine prizes. For Powerball, this consists of five white ball numbers and one red Powerball number.

Withholding: Withholding is the automatic tax deduction from lottery winnings before prize payment. Federal law requires 24% withholding for prizes over $5,000, with additional state and local taxes varying by jurisdiction.