Lottery players across the country will have another shot at a massive windfall this weekend after no tickets matched the winning combination in Wednesday night's Powerball drawing. The grand prize went unclaimed on Sept. 9, allowing the multi-state lottery's top payout to roll over and increase in value ahead of the next scheduled drawing.
During the Wednesday evening drawing, the white balls selected were 9, 40, 42, 55, and 65, while the red Powerball was 23. The Power Play multiplier drawn for the evening was 2X. The grand prize up for grabs during the session was valued at $207 million, carrying an estimated lump-sum cash option of $89.4 million for any participant able to match all six numbers.
Lottery officials confirmed that no single entry matched all five white balls alongside the red Powerball to secure the jackpot. In addition, the drawing produced no second-tier winners, meaning no tickets matched all five white balls to claim the standard $1 million prize, nor were there any winners for the $2 million Match 5 prize with the Power Play option added.
Alongside the primary drawing, the lottery conducted its secondary Double Play drawing on Sept. 9. The winning numbers produced in the Double Play session were 32, 33, 58, 62, and 69, accompanied by the red Powerball number 18. The Double Play feature gives participants an extra opportunity to enter their chosen numbers into a separate drawing with a top prize of $10 million.
With the grand prize continuing to evade players, the estimated jackpot for the upcoming Saturday, Sept. 12 drawing has escalated to approximately $232 million. Should a player match all winning numbers on Saturday, they will have the choice between taking the full annuitized prize over time or opting for an immediate cash value payment estimated at $100.0 million.
Powerball drawings follow a regular weekly cadence, taking place three times each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights. Every drawing is broadcast live at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, giving players across various time zones a chance to monitor the results as the winning balls are drawn.
To take part in the game, participants must purchase a ticket and select five numbers from a range of 1 to 69 for the white balls, along with one number between 1 and 26 for the red Powerball. Players have the option of selecting their preferred numbers manually using a printed play slip or opting for a random computer-generated selection issued by the lottery terminal.
Standard entry tickets are priced at $2 per play. For an additional $1, players can select the Power Play add-on, which multiplies all non-jackpot prize winnings by the drawn multiplier. Furthermore, in participating jurisdictions such as Kentucky, Indiana, and several other states, players can spend an additional $1 to add the Double Play feature to their ticket for a second chance at the $10 million top prize.
Overcoming the odds to win the grand prize remains a formidable statistical challenge. The mathematical odds of matching all five white numbers plus the red Powerball to claim the jackpot stand at 1 in 292.2 million. Meanwhile, the probability of matching just the five white balls to claim the $1 million prize is significantly better, though still steep, at 1 in 11.7 million.
Beyond the multi-million-dollar top awards, the game offers several intermediate payout tiers. Players who correctly match four white balls plus the Powerball win a $50,000 prize, facing odds of approximately 1 in 913,000. Matching four white balls alone or matching three white balls alongside the Powerball each yields a $100 payout, with the odds of winning sitting at roughly 1 in 36,000 and 1 in 14,500, respectively.
Smaller cash prizes are also available across the lower tiers of the game matrix. Matching three white balls or two white balls plus the Powerball awards a $7 prize, carrying odds of approximately 1 in 580 and 1 in 700. The lowest prize tier awards $4 to players who match a single white ball with the Powerball (odds of 1 in ~92) or those who match only the red Powerball itself (odds of 1 in ~38).
Powerball tickets are widely available at physical retail locations throughout 45 participating states, as well as in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Consumers can acquire tickets in person at convenience stores, gas stations, and supermarkets across states such as Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Depending on the specific selling jurisdiction, ticket sales cut off between one and two hours prior to the 11 p.m. ET drawing.
For players seeking digital convenience, several states offer online ticket sales. Residents in Kentucky can purchase their entries directly through the state lottery’s official website. In other locations, such as Ohio and Indiana, customers can order tickets digitally through Jackpocket, which serves as the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Direct online ticket purchasing through official state lottery websites is currently permitted for residents across a range of jurisdictions, including Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Lottery regulations clarify that participation is open to a wide audience, as players do not need to hold U.S. citizenship or maintain legal residency within the United States to purchase tickets and claim valid winnings. All eyes now turn to Saturday night's $232 million drawing to see if a new multi-millionaire will emerge.
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