Powerball Celebrates 25th Anniversary
The first Powerball drawing was held on April 19th, 1992, replacing the former game, Lotto*America. Powerball has grown in popularity in the intervening years and, today, 44 U.S. states, Washington D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico take part in the game.
Over the years, the rules have changed several times, with the most recent alterations coming in October 2015. Today, jackpots start at $40 million and players need to pick and match five main numbers from the range of 1 to 69 as well as one Powerball number from the range of 1 to 26 to win the top prize.
Since the beginning of the game, there have been a total of 359 jackpot winners and Powerball boasts the world’s biggest lottery jackpot ever won at an astounding $1.58 billion, which was split by three players from California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016. Powerball also holds the record for the world’s largest single ticket annuitized jackpot, worth $590.5 million and won by Gloria MacKenzie from Zephyrhills, Florida in May 2013. Take a look at the Winners page for more information.
In 2016, the game’s success continued and Powerball made it into the top 10 most popular Google search terms, ahead of the Olympics and the late David Bowie. Many organizations have also benefitted from the game’s success. Officials from the Tennessee Education Lottery added that Powerball has generated an estimated $709 million for education in Tennessee and proceeds from the game have further helped to protect wildlife areas and open spaces in states such as Colorado.
Tickets for the next draw can be purchased from any authorized retailer in participating states and jurisdictions or players can choose their numbers online.
Page Last Updated: 6/29/2017 7:29:52 AM ET