The Powerball lottery is a multi-state lottery game that has become hugely popular in the United States. Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday night, offering players the chance to win jackpots that can climb into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Naturally, when the jackpot gets that big, many people wonder – were there any winners on Powerball for a particular drawing?
How Powerball Works
Powerball is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association and its members. Tickets cost $2 per play. Players select five main numbers from 1 to 69, and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. Prizes are based on how many numbers match. In order to win the jackpot, players must match all five main numbers plus the Powerball. The odds of this happening are 1 in 292 million.
Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time every Wednesday and Saturday. The drawings are conducted live from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Results are broadcast shortly after on many local TV stations. Winning numbers are also published online at the Powerball website and most state lottery websites.
Winners and Prize Payouts
If there is no jackpot winner for a drawing, the money rolls over into the next jackpot, increasing the grand prize. Jackpots begin at $40 million, and grow based on game sales and rollovers. The largest Powerball jackpot ever won was $1.586 billion in January 2016. It was split between three ticket holders in California, Florida, and Tennessee.
Lower tier prizes have fixed payouts. For example, matching just the Powerball number wins $4. Matching four main numbers plus the Powerball wins $50,000. The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.9. Prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing. Most states offer a choice between an annuity paid out over 29 years, or a one-time cash option.
Results for the October 31, 2023 Drawing
The Powerball drawing was held on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at 10:59 pm ET. The winning numbers were:
10, 31, 41, 52, 62 Powerball: 3
For this particular drawing, sadly, there were no jackpot winners. The grand prize rolled to an estimated $700 million for the next drawing on Saturday, November 4, 2023.
However, there were some lower tier winners:
- 1 ticket matched 5 main numbers for $1 million. It was sold in California.
- 52 tickets matched 4 main numbers plus the Powerball for $50,000 each. Winning tickets were sold in 21 different states.
- 847 tickets matched 4 main numbers for $100 each. Those tickets were sold across all participating states.
- 20,646 tickets matched 3 main numbers plus the Powerball for $100 each.
- 294,534 tickets matched 3 main numbers for $7 each.
- 1,022,472 tickets matched just the Powerball for $4 each.
In total, there were 1,390,552 winning tickets sold across all prize tiers. Those tickets won a combined total of $16,217,328 in cash prizes. So while the jackpot continued to climb, many players still walked away with something.
Recent Big Jackpot Winners
Even though there was no grand prize winner on 10/31/2023, Powerball has created some very big winners in recent years:
- November 7, 2022 – One ticket sold in California won a $2.04 billion jackpot, the largest in U.S. lottery history.
- February 6, 2022 – Tickets sold in Connecticut, California, and Wisconsin split a $632.6 million jackpot.
- January 5, 2022 – One ticket sold in California won a $699.8 million jackpot.
- October 4, 2021 – One ticket in California won a $699.8 million jackpot.
- January 20, 2021 – Tickets sold in Maryland and Florida split a $730 million jackpot.
Some of these winners have chosen to remain anonymous, while others like the California man who won $2 billion went public. Regardless, winning Powerball can change someone’s life in an instant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about winners and prizes for Powerball drawings:
How long do players have to claim prizes?
Powerball winners have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prize. For the 10/31/2023 drawing, the claims deadline is April 28, 2024 for any winning tickets. Prizes expire unclaimed after this period.
What are the odds of winning Powerball?
The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. Here are the full Powerball odds:
| Prize Level | Odds of Winning |
| Jackpot | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| Match 5 + PB | 1 in 11,688,053.5 |
| Match 5 | 1 in 11,688,054 |
| Match 4 + PB | 1 in 913,129.18 |
| Match 4 | 1 in 36,525.17 |
| Match 3 + PB | 1 in 14,494.11 |
| Match 3 | 1 in 579.76 |
| Match 2 + PB | 1 in 701.33 |
| Match 1 + PB | 1 in 91.98 |
| Match 0 + PB | 1 in 38.32 |
As you can see, matching the Powerball offers the best odds for winning any prize, even though the payouts are small.
Where does the money come from for Powerball prizes?
All prizes are funded from ticket sales. The Powerball drawings are operated by participating state lotteries. Each ticket sold provides a portion of the prize funds. Unclaimed expired prizes and rollover amounts also help boost future jackpots. Powerball tickets cost $2 apiece, with roughly half the proceeds going to the prize pool.
Can Powerball ticket holders remain anonymous?
In most states, Powerball winners can remain anonymous and avoid publicity. Some states like California, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, and Ohio allow players to form a trust to claim a prize anonymously. Other states allow you to claim through an LLC or other entity to keep your name private. The option for anonymity varies by where the ticket was purchased.
What happens when there is more than one jackpot winner?
If two or more tickets match all six numbers for the jackpot, the prize would be split evenly among the winning tickets. Each winner can individually choose the cash or annuity option. For example, the January 2016 record $1.586 billion prize had three winning tickets, so it was split three ways into roughly $528 million shares apiece.
Has anyone ever rigged or cheated to win Powerball?
There have been isolated cases of retailer fraud, where people rigged insider wins. But the drawings themselves are tightly regulated with strict security protocols to prevent any tampering or errors. The lottery machines and ball sets are inspected before each drawing. Audits ensure everything is correct. It is near impossible for anyone to unlawfully modify or predict results.
Gambling Responsibly
Powerball can be a fun form of entertainment when enjoyed responsibly. However, it’s important for players to be aware of responsible gambling principles:
- Set a budget for Powerball tickets and stick to it. Only gamble with money you can afford to lose.
- Balance lottery play with other expenditures.
- Don’t borrow money or use bill money on lottery tickets.
- Don’t chase losses or bet more trying to win back past draws.
- Don’t let Powerball become an obsession.
- Play for fun, not with the expectation of winning.
- If gambling is causing problems, seek help from resources such as Gamblers Anonymous.
Looking Ahead to the Next Powerball Jackpot
While there was no grand prize winner on 10/31/2023, lottery fever will continue to build for Saturday’s drawing on November 4, 2023. The jackpot now resets to an estimated $700 million, with a cash value of $375.7 million. It will likely continue climbing all week leading up to the next drawing.
Powerball mania will set in across the country. As the jackpot grows, ticket sales surge. Convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores see long lines of people hoping to buy the winning ticket. Water cooler talk and news reports focus on the big prize. Some people pool their money into office or friend lottery pools. Facebook lights up with people posting about their numbers or dreamed premonitions.
Of course, the odds of winning remain long no matter the size of the jackpot. But someone eventually will match all six numbers. Perhaps the billion-dollar barrier could even be broken again. One thing is for sure – this story will continue with the next Powerball drawing on Saturday night. All eager players can do now is purchase their tickets and anxiously wait to hear those magic words: “We have a winner!”
Conclusion
Even with no jackpot winner, millions of people still won Powerball prizes on 10/31/2023. Lower tier prizes continue providing excitement. While going home empty-handed is disappointing, the next epic jackpot could change your life. Powerball will press forward into its next drawing, continuing the thrilling lottery drama Americans eagerly anticipate.
