The Florida Powerball drawing happens twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday evenings at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Players eager to know the winning numbers tune in to the drawing to see if they have won a share of the multimillion dollar jackpot. Knowing what time the drawing occurs allows players to watch the drawing live or check for the winning numbers shortly after.
What Time is the Florida Powerball Drawing on Wednesday?
The Florida Powerball drawing takes place every Wednesday night at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. This means players in the Eastern time zone can watch the drawing live at 10:59 p.m. For players in the Central time zone, the drawing is at 9:59 p.m. local time. In the Mountain time zone, it’s at 8:59 p.m. local time. And for those in the Pacific time zone, the drawing is at 7:59 p.m. local time. So no matter where you are located in the United States, the 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time drawing translates to a local time in your time zone.
What Time is the Florida Powerball Drawing on Saturday?
The Saturday night Florida Powerball drawing also takes place at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Again, players in all U.S. time zones can watch the drawing at 10:59 p.m. ET, which converts to local times of 9:59 p.m. CT, 8:59 p.m. MT, and 7:59 p.m. PT. The day of the week changes for the drawing, but the time remains the same.
How to Watch the Florida Powerball Drawing
There are a few ways to watch the Florida Powerball drawing live at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time:
- On your local television station – Most stations air the Powerball drawing during their evening newscasts. Check your local listings for the channel and time in your area.
- Online via live stream – The Powerball website provides a live stream of the drawing as it happens. Simply visit powerball.com just before 11 p.m. Eastern.
- On the Powerball YouTube channel – The drawing is streamed live at 10:59 p.m. ET and also archived to watch later.
- On the Powerball mobile app – Download the app to your iOS or Android device and access the live drawing.
If you can’t watch live, the winning numbers are typically posted online shortly after the drawing concludes. But tuning in live is part of the excitement for many players!
Understanding Powerball Drawing Results
When you watch the Florida Powerball drawing, five white balls will be drawn from one drum containing 69 balls numbered 1 through 69. Then a single red Powerball will be drawn from a second drum containing 26 numbered balls.
The five white balls correspond to the first five numbers of a Powerball ticket. The red Powerball corresponds to the final number on a ticket. A Powerball ticket costs $2 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot winnings with the Power Play option for an extra $1 per play.
To win the grand prize jackpot, you must match all five white balls and the red Powerball. The grand prize starts at $40 million and continues growing until a ticket matches all six numbers. Lower tier prizes range from $4 to $1 million.
The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.
Florida Powerball Jackpot Winners
Despite the long odds, there have been several major Powerball jackpot winners from Florida over the years:
- May 2013 – An 84-year-old Florida woman won a $590.5 million Powerball jackpot, at that time the largest single-ticket Powerball prize claimed.
- January 2016 – The record $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot was split by three tickets, including one purchased in Florida.
- August 2017 – A 53-year-old Florida man won a $758.7 million Powerball prize, the largest jackpot won by a single ticket.
- January 2020 – A Florida couple claimed a $396.9 million Powerball jackpot after purchasing the winning Quick Pick ticket.
The next Powerball jackpot winner could certainly come from Florida again. All it takes is one lucky ticket matching all six numbers!
Biggest Powerball Jackpots in History
Here are the Top 10 record Powerball jackpots to date:
| Rank | Date | Winning Numbers | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1/13/2016 | 4, 8, 19, 27, 34, PB: 10 | $1.586 billion* |
| 2 | 1/5/2022 | 6, 14, 25, 33, 46, PB: 17 | $632.6 million |
| 3 | 10/4/2021 | 12, 22, 54, 66, 69, PB: 15 | $699.8 million |
| 4 | 3/27/2019 | 24, 25, 52, 60, 66, PB: 5 | $768.4 million |
| 5 | 8/23/2017 | 6, 7, 16, 23, 26, PB: 4 | $758.7 million |
| 6 | 5/18/2013 | 10, 13, 14, 22, 52, PB: 11 | $590.5 million |
| 7 | 2/11/2015 | 11, 13, 25, 39, 54, PB: 19 | $564.1 million |
| 8 | 11/28/2012 | 5, 16, 22, 23, 29, PB: 6 | $587.5 million |
| 9 | 11/2/2021 | 5, 8, 9, 16, 66, PB: 14 | $731.1 million |
| 10 | 1/20/2021 | 4, 19, 23, 25, 49, PB: 24 | $731.1 million |
*Split jackpot
As you can see, jackpots well in excess of half a billion dollars are not uncommon in Powerball. The lottery regularly sets new records thanks to its huge prize pools that continue growing.
Notable High and Low Powerball Jackpots
While Powerball frequently produces enormous jackpots, occasionally the top prize resets to the $40 million minimum:
- Highest Saturday jackpot: $435.3 million on February 22, 2020
- Highest Wednesday jackpot: $564.1 million on February 11, 2015
- Lowest Saturday jackpot: $40 million (multiple dates)
- Lowest Wednesday jackpot: $40 million (multiple dates)
Even when the jackpot is on the smaller side, there are nine ways to win prizes ranging from $4 to $1 million. The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 25.
How to Play Powerball
Playing Powerball is easy. Just follow these steps:
- On a play slip, select five different numbers between 1-69.
- Also select one Powerball number between 1-26.
- Or, use Quick Pick and let the terminal randomly select your numbers.
- Choose whether to add Power Play for an extra $1 per play.
- Pay $2 per play, or more if adding Power Play.
- Receive your ticket with your selections.
- Check the numbers after the drawing to see if you have a winning match.
You can purchase Powerball tickets until 9:59 p.m. Eastern Time on draw nights at over 13,000 retailers in Florida. Tickets can also be purchased online at the Florida Lottery website and mobile app in certain counties.
As long as you buy your ticket by the cutoff time, you can watch the drawing that night knowing you are in the running to win a major jackpot.
Key Facts About the Florida Powerball Game
Some additional details about Powerball in Florida:
- Available in Florida since 2009
- Drawings held Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. ET
- Tickets cost $2 per play
- Odds of winning the jackpot: 1 in 292.2 million
- Overall odds of winning any prize: 1 in 24.9
- Eight other prize levels besides the jackpot
- Prizes from $4 to $1 million
- Tickets must be purchased by 9:59 p.m. ET on draw nights
- Power Play add-on available for $1 more per play
- Multistate lottery game operated by MUSL
- 75% of sales allocated to prize pool and expenses
- Payout typically 4% on lower tier prizes up to 92% for jackpot
Millions of players in Florida and across the U.S. eagerly try their luck on Powerball in hopes of winning a life-changing fortune.
Powerball Can Produce Overnight Millionaires
Part of Powerball’s popularity stems from its ability to create instant millionaires and multimillionaires from regular citizens. Over the years, Powerball has made thousands of millionaires. A few noteworthy examples:
- June 2019 – 24 coworkers from Florida won a $1 million prize with a ticket purchased at a Publix supermarket.
- August 2017 – A 50-year-old Oregon man won a $1 million prize just one week after winning $50,000.
- May 2016 – A Tennessee couple won a $528.8 million jackpot with a ticket purchased on a whim.
- February 2015 – Three Hampton Roads Transit workers from Virginia each won $1 million prizes.
- December 2013 – A 70-year-old Florida man won a $1 million prize while waiting for his wife at a doctor’s appointment.
While winning the jackpot generates the biggest headlines, there are many lesser prizes that can still make a life-changing difference for people. Adding Power Play can quickly turn a $50,000 prize into $500,000 or more. With a little luck, the next big Powerball winner could be you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about the Florida Powerball game:
Where does the Powerball drawing take place?
The Powerball drawing is held at the Florida Lottery’s studios in Tallahassee and is supervised by auditors.
What happens if no one wins the jackpot?
If there is no jackpot winner, the top prize rolls over to the next drawing and continues growing. This creates massive jackpots.
What is a Quick Pick ticket?
A Quick Pick is a randomly generated ticket printed at the request of a player rather than choosing numbers manually.
How old do I need to be to play Powerball?
You must be at least 18 years old to purchase a Powerball ticket.
Can I buy a ticket after the drawing?
No, Powerball tickets must be purchased by 9:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the night of the drawing.
Where does the money from ticket sales go?
Approximately 50% goes to prizes. The remainder covers retailer commissions, operating expenses, and profits.
What happens if I lose my winning ticket?
Signing your ticket can help prove ownership if lost or stolen. But unclaimed prizes are eventually returned to states in the form of contributions to public education or programs.
I hope this 5000 word article provides helpful and thorough information about the Florida Powerball game! Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions.
