If we get a VA Powerball jackpot win Monday night, it will be among the all-timers. The estimated jackpot as of Friday is $1 billion.
The amount is the second-highest jackpot in Powerball history and it could become the fourth-largest lottery prize ever offered in the US, depending on Halloween sales.
10 p.m. is the cutoff time in Virginia to buy Powerball plays for that night’s drawing. Each chance at the jackpot costs $2.
VA Powerball players can then check their numbers after drawings at 10:59 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
If the Powerball jackpot survives the Halloween night draw, it could threaten the all-time record before the end of the week.
That all-time Powerball record is $1.586 billion. Tickets in CA, FL and TN split the record win. Virginia has yet to sell a ticket for one of Powerball’s 10 all-time highest jackpots.
If you would like to change that history, the Virginia Lottery offers three ways to play Powerball in the state:
- Customers can buy tickets at more than 5,300 retail locations statewide.
- Plays are available at valottery.com and
- the Virginia Lottery app also sells tickets.
Aug. 3 is last time the lotto game coughed up a six-for-six match. That winner bought their ticket in Pennsylvania.
How to manage your VA Powerball office pool
Office pools and group buys spring up when the jackpots flirt with record levels. To keep harmony with your co-workers, family and friends remember to:
- Work out the rules and put them in writing — If a regular member of the pool is gone on the collection date, are they included in the winnings anyway? Who is in charge of holding the ticket and claiming the win? Can pool members pick and choose when they play?
- Keep a list of everyone who puts in money — Make sure they’re 18 or older and get their phone numbers, too.
- Help everyone track results — Give everyone in the office pool a picture, photocopy or screenshot of the numbers.
- Keep any personal purchase separated — If you buy additional plays for yourself, keep that purchase separate from the purchase you make on behalf of the pool. The pool’s “treasurer” may even want to make the group pool buy and their personal lotto purchase at separate stores.
Third Powerball drawing added over the summer
Wednesday and Saturday drawings were a Powerball fixture. But, Monday night drawings are a relatively new wrinkle for VA Powerball enthusiasts. The multi-state game added a third drawing per week starting Aug. 23.
Lottery officials say the increased frequency is “designed to produce more winners” and “generate larger, faster-growing jackpots.” Even with more drawings, the odds of winning per play and the ticket price remain the same.
Forty-eight lotteries in the US states and territories carry Powerball as an option.
Reminders about the jackpot amount
When the jackpot reaches big levels, lottery officials have a harder time predicting the grand-prize estimate. Stronger sales drive the jackpot up and can lead to revisions of the prize estimate.
In fact, players who bought a ticket over the weekend saw an estimated jackpot of $1 billion.
The number gets updated online, but it might not match the amount listed on a retail Virginia Lottery ticket.
You won’t get the entire jackpot amount if you win, by the way. These factors take a chomp out of your big check:
- Other players around the country may hit all six numbers, too. Powerball splits the jackpot evenly among all winning tickets.
- The government will get its share in state and federal taxes, of course.
- You’ll get less if you want your win in one lump payment, too. For example, winners get a $1 billion win only if they agree to annuity payouts spread out over 30 years. If you want all of the money now, the Virginia Lottery says the $1 billion win is actually closer to $497.3 million win before taxes.
Remember, the jackpot isn’t the only prize to win in Powerball. Take the time to check all of your numbers:
- $4 for the correct Powerball (1-in-38.32) or correct Powerball + another correct number (1-in-91.98)
- $7 for any three correct numbers with (1-in-701.33) or without (1-in-579.76) the correct Powerball
- $100 for any four correct numbers with (1-in-14,494.11) or without (1-in-36,525.17) the correct Powerball
- $50,000 for five correct numbers including the correct Powerball (1-in-913,129.18)
- $1 million if only the Powerball number isn’t correct (1-in-11,688,053.52)
- Grand prize is all six numbers are correct (1-in-292,201,338)
