Playing POWERBALL© through the West Virginia Lottery is fairly straightforward. Once you know the basics about ticket costs and add-on options, you can make choices that fit your budget and playing style so you can stay safe while making the most of the frequent POWERBALL drawings.
Standard ticket fees
A basic POWERBALL© ticket costs $2 per play. You’ll then pick five numbers from one to 69, plus one POWERBALL© number from one to 26. With this, you’re automatically entered into all nine prize tiers, including the jackpot.
It doesn’t matter whether you buy your ticket online through the West Virginia Lottery’s website or app, or pick one up at a licensed retailer – the price stays the same.
Is Power Play® worth it?
For just $1 more per play, you can add Power Play to your ticket. This feature multiplies your non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or even 10 times, depending on what multiplier gets drawn. However, the 10X multiplier only shows up when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
Here’s where Power Play can really make a difference. If you match five white balls, your standard $1 million prize doubles to $2 million with Power Play. Match four white balls plus the POWERBALL©, and your $50,000 could jump to $500,000 with a 10X multiplier. Even the smaller prizes have the potential to increase when the Power Play option is in action.
Just remember—Power Play doesn’t touch the jackpot amount. It stays the same whether you’ve got the add-on or not.
Planning for the drawings in advance
You can buy tickets for up to 26 consecutive drawings at once, both online and in person. This means your chosen numbers are automatically enrolled on the future draws.
Online, the West Virginia Lottery’s iPLAY platform offers an Auto-Renew feature that automatically buys your usual ticket setup for future drawings. You’ll need to have this feature turned on and enough funds in your account.
Quick pick at no extra cost
Whether you carefully choose your own numbers or let Quick Pick randomly generate them for you, the ticket price and gameplay odds stay exactly the same. You can use Quick Pick for your white ball numbers, your POWERBALL© number, or both without an additional charge.
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POWERBALL© offers multiple prize structures and ways to play depending on your budget and preferences. As one of the biggest games in America, it’s clear to see why this state-wide game of chance remains so popular.
So, now you know exactly what POWERBALL© costs and what your options are, you could choose to stick with the basic $2 ticket, or add Power Play for the potential to win even bigger prizes. Remember, no outcome is guaranteed, and nothing can influence the results, but the West Virginia Lottery gives you flexibility in how you play. With responsible gaming tools also available online, will you be playing in the next POWERBALL© draw, or are iNSTANTS more your thing?