Powerball is a popular multi-state lottery game available in 45 states, including Florida. Powerball tickets cost $2 per play in Florida, like most other participating states. Here are some key details about Powerball ticket prices in Florida:
Powerball Ticket Basics
A basic Powerball ticket costs $2. This gets you one set of numbers for the next Powerball drawing. Here’s what’s included with a $2 Powerball ticket in Florida:
- 5 main numbers (choose 5 numbers between 1-69)
- 1 Powerball number (choose 1 number between 1-26)
So for $2, you pick 5 regular numbers and 1 Powerball number. This set of 6 numbers makes up one Powerball play.
You can buy Powerball tickets in Florida at any lottery retailer, including grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores. You can also purchase tickets online through the Florida Lottery’s website.
Power Play Add-On
For an extra $1 per play, you can add the Power Play option to your Powerball ticket. Power Play multiplies any non-jackpot prizes you win by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times, depending on the multiplier drawn before that night’s draw.
For example, if you win $50,000 on a Powerball ticket with Power Play and the multiplier drawn is 5X, you win $250,000 instead of just the $50,000.
The Power Play option costs $1 extra per Powerball ticket. So a Powerball ticket with Power Play costs $3 instead of the usual $2.
Multiple Plays
You can buy multiple Powerball plays on one ticket in Florida. For example, you could buy 5 plays (5 sets of numbers) on one $10 ticket.
The cost breakdown is:
- 1 play (1 set of numbers) costs $2
- 2 plays (2 sets of numbers) costs $4
- 3 plays (3 sets of numbers) costs $6
- 4 plays (4 sets of numbers) costs $8
- 5 plays (5 sets of numbers) costs $10
And so on. Each additional play beyond the first costs $2. There’s no limit to how many plays you can purchase on a single ticket.
Odds of Winning Powerball
The odds of winning a Powerball prize depend on a few factors:
- Odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338
- Odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.87
- Odds increase with more number combinations played
- Overall odds remain the same regardless of Power Play
Although the chances of winning millions are very small, some players have actually won big Powerball prizes in Florida over the years. For instance:
- In May 2013, an 84-year-old woman won a $370 million Powerball jackpot in Zephyrhills.
- In January 2016, three winners from Florida, California, and Tennessee split a $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot.
- In August 2017, a 53-year-old man won a $758.7 Powerball prize in Panama City.
Powerball Drawings
Powerball drawings are held three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights at 10:59 p.m. ET.
To play, you must buy your Powerball tickets by 9:59 p.m. ET on draw days. Tickets purchased after this time will be for the next drawing.
Powerball drawings are televised from the Florida Lottery studios in Tallahassee. To watch, tune into your local stations on draw nights.
How to Win the Powerball Jackpot
You win the Powerball jackpot by matching all 5 white balls plus the red Powerball. The jackpot starts at $40 million and continues growing until someone wins it. Here are the 5 steps to winning the jackpot:
- Buy a Powerball ticket – $2 per play
- Pick 5 numbers from 1-69 for the white balls
- Pick 1 number from 1-26 for the red Powerball
- Match all 5 white balls AND the Powerball number
- Jackpot! You’ve won the top prize.
The winner can choose to receive the jackpot in an annuity paid out over 30 years or take the cash value option in a lump sum payment. Both options are subject to federal and state taxes.
Other Ways to Win Powerball Prizes
You can win other Powerball prizes without hitting the jackpot. The prize amounts depend on how many numbers you match:
| Match | Prize Amount |
|---|---|
| 5 white balls only | $1 million |
| 4 white balls + Powerball | $50,000 |
| 4 white balls only | $100 |
| 3 white balls + Powerball | $100 |
| 3 white balls only | $7 |
| 2 white balls + Powerball | $7 |
| 1 white ball + Powerball | $4 |
| Powerball only | $4 |
As the table shows, you can win money by matching fewer than all 5 white balls. The Power Play option can boost these prizes by up to 10 times if you added it to your ticket.
Unclaimed Powerball Prizes
For various reasons, some winning Powerball tickets go unclaimed. The money from unclaimed prizes gets returned to the states where the tickets were purchased.
In Florida, unclaimed lottery prizes remain in the Lottery’s prize pool fund. The money goes back towards future games and helps increase future jackpots and prizes. So if no one claims a big Powerball prize in Florida, the money just gets added to the next jackpot up for grabs.
Some common reasons winning Powerball tickets go unclaimed include:
- Players misplace their tickets
- Players fail to check their tickets after a drawing
- Tickets get lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed
- Players don’t realize they’ve won on a lesser prize
- Winners miss the claim deadline
Powerball winners have 180 days from the draw date to claim their prizes in Florida. If no one comes forward with the winning ticket in time, the money rolls into the Lottery’s prize pool.
Powerball Ticket Checkers
To see if your Powerball ticket is a winner, you have several options:
- Use the self-service ticket checkers at Florida lottery retailers
- Check your numbers on the Florida Lottery website
- Scan your ticket barcode using the Florida Lottery app
- Take your ticket to a retailer or lottery district office
These quick and easy ways to check if you’ve won a prize can help Florida Lottery players claim any winnings on their Powerball tickets.
Claiming Powerball Prizes
How you claim your Powerball prize depends on how much you’ve won:
- Prizes up to $599 can be claimed at any Florida lottery retailer
- Prizes $600 to $249,999 can be claimed at Florida district offices
- Prizes $250,000 and over must be claimed at the Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee
Make sure you sign the winning ticket and fill out the claim form. For prizes over $600, you’ll need to provide government-issued photo ID. The retailer or Lottery office will verify your winnings and pay out your prize amount.
Remember, Powerball tickets expire 180 days after the drawing date. Be sure to check your tickets promptly and claim any prizes before the deadline.
Powerball Rules in Florida
Florida joined Powerball in 2009 and follows the standard game rules, including:
- Players must be 18 or older to buy tickets
- Tickets cost $2 per play, or $3 with Power Play
- Drawings held 3 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays
- Jackpot starts at $40 million and keeps growing until someone wins
- Prizes up to $599 can be claimed at retailers
- Tickets expire 180 days after the drawing date
Any rule changes made by Powerball would apply in Florida as well. For example, when Powerball increased jackpot sizes and changed the number pool in 2015, those updates took effect in Florida too.
Buying Powerball Tickets Online
The Florida Lottery allows players to buy Powerball tickets online at flalottery.com. You must be a Florida resident and register an account with the Lottery. Here are some key points about buying Powerball tickets online in Florida:
- Must be 18 or older and a legal resident of Florida
- Must register for an account on the Lottery website
- Can buy tickets 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
- Pay for tickets online using debit cards or electronic funds transfer
- Tickets are generated and secured by the Lottery system
- Receive email confirmation with ticket details and numbers
- Can use website or app to check if you’ve won
Purchasing Powerball tickets online provides a quick, convenient way for Florida residents to play. Your tickets and winnings are all handled electronically and securely through the Lottery system.
Powerball Tickets as Gifts
Can you buy a Powerball ticket for someone else as a gift? Yes, you can purchase Powerball tickets for others in Florida.
Some key things to know:
- You must be 18 or older to buy or receive a ticket
- Make sure the gift recipient is also 18 or older
- Write the gift recipient’s name on the ticket so they can claim any prizes
- Tickets can’t be resold for higher than face value ($2 per play)
- Buying groups of tickets for a shared ownership gift is allowed
Giving Powerball tickets as gifts is permitted in Florida. Just remember that the tickets can only be purchased by and gifted to adults age 18 or older.
Lottery Pools and Powerball
You can pool together a group purchase of Powerball tickets in Florida. This can be a fun way to play the lottery with friends, family, co-workers or other groups.
Some tips for organizing a Powerball lottery pool:
- Appoint someone to coordinate and manage the pool
- Set clear rules on how to collect funds, buy tickets, and share winnings
- Create a lottery pool agreement for all members to sign
- Divide lottery expenses and all prizes evenly among members
- Photocopy and distribute scanned tickets to members
As long as all members of the pool are 18 or older, a group Powerball ticket purchase is allowed in Florida. Just be sure to set ground rules and document the lottery pool agreement.
Powerball Taxes
Powerball prizes are considered taxable income, so you must pay federal and state taxes on any winnings.
If you win the Powerball jackpot, here’s how taxes typically work:
- Federal taxes – 37%
- State taxes in Florida – No state tax on lottery winnings
- You take home the remaining amount after taxes are withheld
For smaller prizes, the lottery will withhold taxes at a flat 25% federal rate before paying out your winnings. You may owe additional tax when filing returns.
Remember, the advertised Powerball jackpots are the pretax amounts. Your actual take-home prize will be less after all required taxes are deducted.
Changes Coming to Powerball
Some changes are coming to Powerball starting in August 2022 that Florida players should be aware of:
- Add a 3rd weekly drawing – Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday
- Starting jackpot raises to $20 million (from $40 million)
- Overall odds improve from 1 in 24.87 to 1 in 21.03
The extra weekly drawing will give players more chances to win, while the higher starting jackpot and improved odds aim to build larger prizes more frequently.
Conclusion
In Florida, Powerball tickets cost $2 per play, with the option to add Power Play for $1 more. Drawings are held three nights a week, giving you multiple chances to win jackpots starting around $20 million or less. Overall odds are around 1 in 21 of winning any prize. Remember to sign your tickets, check them promptly after drawings, and claim your prizes within 180 days.
