Next Powerball jackpot reaches $670million after days for draws increased

REPORTING LOTTERY SCAMS

If you are told that you can “verify” the prize by calling a certain number, that number may be part of a lottery scam.

Instead of calling it, you should look up the name of the lottery or organization on your own to find out its real contact information.

If you think someone on the phone is trying to scam you, hang up immediately because if you engage them in conversation, your name and contact information could end up on a list that’s shared with other scammers.

PRIZES AND ODDS OF DOUBLE PLAY

Double play has the same odds as winning the Powerball jackpot, but different prizes.

The Powerball is a rolling jackpot while Double Play has a top prize of $10million.

NEW NIGHT NEW RULES

The Powerball website outlines the rules of the new Monday drawing and the new Double Play feature.

The website reads, “Players will continue to choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. The Power Play® add-on feature will also be available for an additional $1 per play to multiply non-jackpot prizes and will only apply to prizes won in the Powerball drawing.”

“All 48 U.S. lotteries will sell tickets for the Powerball drawing on Monday nights.”

STATES WITH DOUBLE PLAY

Double Play will be available in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Washington, according to Powerball’s website.

Double Play is the game’s newest feature, and costs an additional $1.

MAINTAINING ANONYMITY, CONTINUED

Buying a lottery ticket in a state that does not require winners to come forward is another effective way to conceal your identity. 

Deleting social media accounts, changing phone numbers, and changing addresses can also be an alternative to remaining anonymous.

CAN YOU REMAIN ANONYMOUS AFTER WINNING THE LOTTERY?

There are several ways to remain anonymous to claim a lottery prize.

One way is to not tell anyone you scored the jackpot or not change much of your lifestyle to avoid having your identity revealed if you won the lottery.

WHEN IS THE POWERBALL CALLED?

The new numbers are drawn on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays around 11pm ET.

RECORD PRIZE

On March 30, 2012, Mega Millions made history with the world’s largest prize in any jackpot game to that date: $656 million.

The prize was split three ways by winning tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.

The record was eventually surpassed by a Powerball jackpot in January 2016.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY POWERBALL?

Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

A world record jackpot of $1.586billion was hit in January 2016 and was shared by winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY POWERBALL?

Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

A world record jackpot of $1.586billion was hit in January 2016 and was shared by winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee.

GAMBLING ADDICTION HELP

The Powerball website provides information and resources about the dangers of gambling addiction.

“For some people gambling can become a problem. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, there are a number of helpful resources listed below,” it reads.

National Council on Problem Gambling
24 Hour Confidential National Helpline
Call:  1-800-522-4700
Chat:  ncpgambling.org/chat
Text:  1-800-522-4700

Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators
www.apgsa.org

MEGAMILLIONS WINNERS OF 2021

Here are the previous Mega Millions grand prize winners in 2021:

06/08/2021 — $56 million (Illinois)
05/21/2021 — $516 million (Pennsylvania)
02/16/2021 — $96 million (New York)
01/22/2021 — $1.05 billion (Michigan)

‘GOTTA PLAY EVERY DRAWING’

A source told the Seattle Times that with the new drawing comes a responsibility to play every time.

“You can’t skip one drawing to save a few bucks and then have your numbers come up. You’d kill yourself; you’ve gotta play every drawing,” they said.

SOUTH CAROLINA MAN WON LOTTERY TWICE IN 11 DAYS

The big winner, who is from Grand Strand, in South Carolina, won a $40,000 prize and then a $3million one in the space of 11 days.

He had bought both Mega Millions Quick Pick tickets on July 16 and on July 27 from a Murphy USA gas station in Myrtle Beach, the South Carolina Education Lottery said.

The winner, who is unnamed, said: “I couldn’t believe it.”

“My family was shocked when I broke the news.”

In both cases, he missed the jackpot by just one number. 

WHEN DID POWERBALL LAUNCH?

Powerball launched in America in 1992.

It set a world record jackpot of $1.586billion in January 2016.

The record prize was shared by winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee.

WHAT IS POWERBALL DOUBLE PLAY, CONTINUED

“Players will play the same set of numbers in the both the main Powerball drawing and Double Play drawing, and Powerball tickets that include the Double Play® feature will be eligible to win prizes in both drawings.

“Players can include both the Power Play® and Double Play® features on their Powerball ticket, however, the Power Play multiplier does not apply to prizes won in the Double Play® drawing.”

WHAT IS POWERBALL DOUBLE PLAY?

Double Play is “a new add-on feature to the Powerball® game that gives players in select jurisdictions another chance to match their Powerball numbers in a separate drawing with a top cash prize of $10 million.

“Players can add the Double Play feature to their Powerball ticket for an additional $1 per play. The Double Play drawing will be held after every Powerball drawing on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

STATES WITH DOUBLE PLAY

Double Play will be available in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Washington, according to Powerball’s website.

Double Play is the game’s newest feature, and costs an additional $1.

HOW TO WATCH THE DRAWING

If you want to tune in to the Powerball drawings, they are livestreamed from Powerball.com.

Some local TV stations are also scheduled to broadcast it.

TICKETS FOR NEW MONDAY NIGHT DRAWING

Tickets for the new drawing which takes place on Mondays will be available in the same 45 states as the regular drawing, including Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

COST TO PLAY POWERBALL

Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

A world record jackpot of $1.586billion was hit in January 2016 and was shared by winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF WINNING?

The odds of hitting all six lottery numbers are one in 13,983,816.

According to Lottery USA, the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are one in 302.6million and the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2million.

FIRST MONDAY DRAWING

Powerball announced in the summer that they would add a third weekly drawing on Monday nights.

The first Monday drawing took place on Monday August 23.

‘READY TO WIN’

“Powerball is at 620mill. I think I’m ready to finally win the lottery plz,” another person wrote.

PEOPLE DREAM OF WINNING THE LOTTERY

“I cannot physically express how much I wanna win the lottery and never work a day in my life,” one person wrote on Twitter.