SACRAMENTO – The California State Lottery is advising all Californians of upcoming changes affecting the multi-state jackpot game Powerball. Please view the announcement released this evening by the Multi-State Lottery Association below.
Attention Players – POWERBALL to make changes to starting jackpot amount and minimum jackpot roll increases:
Following next Grand Prize win, Powerball jackpot will reset to $20 million (instead of $40 million) with minimum roll increases of $2 million between drawings (instead of $10 million)
URBANDALE, Iowa – The Powerball Product Group today announced changes to ensure the game continues to support good causes in all 48 U.S. lottery jurisdictions. Following the next Grand Prize win, Powerball’s starting jackpot will reset to a guaranteed $20 million (annuity) with minimum roll increases of $2 million between drawings.
“Powerball players in many U.S. lottery jurisdictions are under shelter-in-place orders or recommendations from their governors or mayors, which have affected normal consumer behaviors,” said Gregory Mineo, Powerball Product Group Chairman and Maine Lottery Director. “Just like other enterprises around the world that are making adjustments, we are making proactive changes to continue to offer the world’s premier lottery product.”
Tonight’s advertised jackpot is a guaranteed $150 million; $114.8 million cash value. If the jackpot is won in tonight’s drawing, the jackpot will reset to a guaranteed $20 million (annuity) for the Saturday, March 28 drawing with minimum jackpot roll increases of $2 million between drawings. If the jackpot is not won tonight, then the jackpot will grow to an estimated $160 million (annuity).
“We would like to offer support to our loyal players during this unprecedented time,” said Mineo. “We are committed to being America’s favorite jackpot game.”
Powerball is played in 45 states (plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Draw times are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7:59 p.m. PT. The draw closes at 7 p.m., so players must buy their tickets by then to qualify for that draw. Tickets cost $2 and can be purchased from any of the more than 23,000 California Lottery retailers or one of the more than 4,000 Lottery Lucky retailers. Please visit the California Lottery website at www.calottery.com for more information on how to play.
The California Lottery’s mission is to provide supplemental funding to California public schools, including kindergarten and grades 1-12, community colleges, the California State University, the University of California, and other California public educational entities. The funds the Lottery transfers to public education total approximately $1.8 billion for fiscal year 2018-19, which amounts to a modest percentage of education’s overall budget. However, this funding is largely non-discretionary, meaning schools can use this for important, yet unfunded instructional programs they would otherwise not afford. During the same period the Lottery generated almost $7 billion in sales, more than 95% of which goes back to the community in the form of prize payments, retailer commissions and bonuses, and contributions to education. The California Lottery urges its customers to play responsibly. Problem gambling resources are available to anyone at 1-800-GAMBLER.
www.calottery.com
