Is Powerball available in Washington state?

Powerball is one of the most popular lottery games in the United States, with jackpots that can grow into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Players in most states can buy Powerball tickets and dream of hitting the big jackpot. But if you live in Washington state, you may be wondering – can I play Powerball where I live?

The short answer

No, Powerball is not available for purchase in Washington state. Washington does not participate in the multi-state Powerball lottery game. Residents of Washington can play other national lottery games like Mega Millions, but Powerball tickets cannot be purchased within the state.

Why doesn’t Washington state participate in Powerball?

Powerball is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), which administers the game on behalf of member state lotteries. For a state to offer Powerball, its lottery must join the MUSL and agree to its terms for operating and promoting the game. Powerball jackpots build quickly when lots of states are selling tickets, so participation is key to the game’s success.

Washington’s lottery is prohibited by state law from using games administered by other state lotteries like the MUSL. The Washington State Lottery operates its own games independently. So by law, the Washington Lottery cannot join the MUSL and therefore cannot offer Powerball.

Powerball was introduced in 1992. Washington initially participated for the first few years. But in 1995, the state withdrew from the MUSL and ended Powerball sales. Legislation was passed to codify the Lottery’s independence from multi-state games. Powerball tickets have not been sold in Washington since then.

What lottery games are available in Washington?

Even though Washington residents can’t play Powerball, the Washington Lottery offers many other lottery games with big jackpots:

  • Mega Millions – Washington joined the Mega Millions consortium in 2002. Mega Millions jackpots also start at $20 million and can climb to over $1 billion if there is a lengthy run without a winner.
  • Lotto – Lotto is Washington’s own jackpot game, with a starting jackpot of $1 million. Rollovers can boost the Lotto jackpot to $10 million or more.
  • Hit 5 – Hit 5 is Washington’s daily draw game, with top prizes of $300,000.
  • Match 4 – Match 4 also has daily draws, with top prizes of $10,000.
  • Daily Game – the Daily Game offers top prizes of $1,000.
  • Instant games – Washington offers many themed scratch ticket games with prizes up to $1 million.

Even without Powerball, Washingtonians still have plenty of chances to win big lottery jackpots without crossing state lines. The Washington Lottery provides funds for several worthy causes within the state, including education, health services, and conservation efforts. By playing Washington’s lottery games, players can win exciting cash prizes while supporting vital programs in their home state.

Can Washington residents legally play Powerball?

Since Powerball tickets cannot be purchased in Washington, some residents travel to neighboring states like Idaho and Oregon to buy tickets from authorized retailers there. State lines can be crossed to purchase lottery tickets, but a Powerball ticket must be purchased from an authorized retailer within a participating state.

Some online agents wrongly claim to sell official Powerball tickets online. But in reality, legitimate Powerball tickets can only be bought from licensed retailers in person. No state allows online sales of Powerball tickets across state lines. Any website offering to sell online Powerball tickets is violating the law.

While crossing state lines to play Powerball is permitted, some Washington politicians have sought to discourage residents from playing. Proposals have been introduced at times to dissuade ticket purchases in bordering states. But Washington cannot legally prohibit its residents from purchasing lottery tickets in neighboring Powerball states. Powerball winners from Washington would be able to claim prizes, paying any taxes owed to Washington state on the winnings.

Powerball state participation

Currently (as of late 2023), Powerball can be played in 45 U.S. states, plus Washington D.C, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The only states that do not participate are:

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Hawaii
  • Nevada
  • Utah
  • Mississippi
  • Washington

Powerball has the most state participants of any nationwide lottery game in the U.S. Mega Millions is offered in 45 states plus D.C. and the Virgin Islands. Lotto America is available in 13 state lotteries.

The biggest Powerball jackpots

Without Washington’s participation, the Powerball jackpot can grow very large when no one hits all the numbers. Here are the biggest Powerball jackpots to date:

Jackpot Date Winning State
$2.04 billion November 7, 2022 California
$1.586 billion January 13, 2016 California, Florida, Tennessee
$768.4 million March 27, 2019 Wisconsin
$758.7 million August 23, 2017 Massachusetts
$731.1 million January 20, 2021 Maryland

As you can see, recent Powerball jackpots have topped over $1 billion when enough lotteries go without a Grand Prize winner. Washington players miss out on a chance to win massive jackpots only seen on the largest multi-state lottery games. But Washington does offer its own big prizes through games like Mega Millions.

Trying your luck out of state

For Washington residents crossing the border to play Powerball, here are the nearest locations to buy tickets in neighboring states:

Idaho

  • Post Falls – About 15 miles east of Spokane, WA
  • Coeur d’Alene – 25 miles east of Spokane, WA
  • Moscow – 8 miles southwest of Pullman, WA
  • Lewiston – 5 miles southeast of Clarkston, WA
  • Orofino – 45 miles southeast of Lewiston, ID

Oregon

  • Portland, OR – 140 miles south of Seattle, WA
  • The Dalles, OR – 85 miles southeast of Vancouver, WA
  • Hermiston, OR – 75 miles southwest of the Tri-Cities, WA
  • Ontario, OR – 10 miles northeast of Fruitland, ID

Make sure to check the Powerball drawings schedule when crossing state lines to buy tickets. Drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights. Tickets must be purchased before the drawing to be eligible for that jackpot.

Also be aware that state taxes may be owed when claiming a jackpot prize. Washington taxes gambling winnings at the highest marginal individual income tax rate, which is 20.5% as of late 2023. The Lottery may withhold taxes immediately from a jackpot prize claimed by a Washington resident.

Powerball game details

For Washington residents considering a border run to play Powerball, here is a quick rundown of how to play:

  • Players pick 5 numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, and 1 number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
  • Tickets cost $2 per play. An optional Power Play feature for $1 extra can multiply non-jackpot winnings.
  • To win the jackpot, match all 5 white balls and the red Powerball.
  • Lower tier prizes range from $4 to $1 million for matching some numbers.
  • Drawings are at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Jackpots start at $20 million and roll over until someone wins.
  • Odds of winning the jackpot are around 1 in 292 million.

Tickets can be purchased up until a few hours before each drawing. Powerball tickets and prize claims cannot be processed online. Jackpots can be paid annually over 30 years, or as a reduced lump sum cash option.

Other large jackpots

For Washington Lottery players, joining Mega Millions offers similar long shot odds to win giant jackpots. On October 14, 2022, the Mega Millions jackpot soared to $494 million before being won in Florida. Mega Millions jackpots start at $20 million and roll over when no one matches all six numbers. The cash value option was $248.7 million for that October jackpot.

Washington’s Lotto game has climbed as high as $24.5 million before winner’s claimed the jackpot. Drawings are held twice per week. Lotto has much better overall odds of 1 in nearly 7 million chance to win the jackpot.

While Washington lacks its own in-state Powerball game, players have many other opportunities to try for oversized lottery jackpots when lady luck strikes.

Conclusion

In summary, Powerball lottery tickets cannot be purchased anywhere within Washington state. A state law prevents the Washington Lottery from participating in multi-state games like Powerball. Residents must cross state lines into places like Idaho and Oregon to buy Powerball tickets from authorized retailers.

Powerball frequently produces enormous jackpots, sometimes exceeding $1 billion. Washington’s Powerball absence allows prizes to grow higher when no one hits the jackpot. But Washington Lottery does provide similar big jackpot games like Mega Millions and Lotto. And proceeds from Washington’s lottery games stay in-state to benefit vital local programs.

While joining Powerball would likely generate greater revenues for Washington’s Lottery, the state legislature has shown no signs of allowing participation anytime soon. So for Washington residents, playing Powerball requires some effort to visit neighboring Powerball states. But you can’t win $1 billion jackpots without buying tickets! With Powerball mania sweeping the nation, wagering a few bucks on a ticket outside Washington could lead to an immense life-changing prize.

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