Powerball History: From Lotto America to Billion-Dollar Jackpots

Powerball began life as Lotto America, a multi-state game that held its first drawing in February 1988. It was renamed and relaunched as Powerball in April 1992, with a two-drum design that set it apart from other lotto games. Since then, the game has changed its price, its number pools and its drawing schedule several times. Each change pushed jackpots higher, and the largest prize so far is the $2.04 billion jackpot of November 2022.

This guide walks through the major milestones in order, explains why each change mattered, and shows how today's game took shape.

Before Powerball: Lotto America (1988–1992)

In the 1980s most U.S. lotteries ran only inside their own state borders. Smaller states had a problem. They didn't have enough players to build the huge jackpots that drew attention in big states like California and New York.

The answer was to pool players across states. A group of lotteries formed the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) in 1987. The Kansas Lottery's history lists the founding members as Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, Rhode Island, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Their first joint game, Lotto America, held its first drawing on February 13, 1988.

Lotto America was a $1 game in which players picked 7 numbers from 40. More lotteries joined over the next few years. Pooling ticket sales let jackpots grow faster than any one small state could manage alone.

1992: Powerball is born

Lotto America was replaced in spring 1992. Powerball tickets went on sale on April 19, 1992, and the first Powerball drawing took place on April 22, 1992.

The big idea was the two-drum format. Players chose five numbers from one pool and one "Powerball" number from a separate drum. Powerball was the first lotto game to use two drums. The design made the jackpot very hard to win while keeping smaller prizes within reach, because you could win something just by matching the red ball.

According to Powerball, 15 lotteries took part in that first 1992 drawing, and the starting jackpot was $2 million.

Timeline of major changes

The table below lists the most important rule changes since 1992. Dates are for the first drawing under the new rules unless noted.

A few of these deserve a closer look.

The $2 ticket (2012)

In January 2012 the price of a basic Powerball play doubled from $1 to $2. At the same time, the starting jackpot rose to $40 million, the prize for matching all five white balls went from $200,000 to $1 million, and the red-ball pool shrank from 39 to 35 numbers. The higher price paid for the bigger prizes. Powerball has cost $2 per play ever since. If you want to see what each prize level pays today, our Powerball prize chart covers every tier.

The 69/26 matrix (October 2015)

The change that shaped modern Powerball took effect with the drawing on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. Tickets in the new format went on sale on October 4.

• The white-ball pool grew from 59 to 69 numbers.
• The red Powerball pool shrank from 35 to 26 numbers.
• Jackpot odds went from about 1 in 175 million to 1 in 292,201,338.
• Overall odds of winning any prize improved to about 1 in 24.87, because the smaller red-ball pool made it easier to match the Powerball.
• The Match 4 + Powerball prize rose from $10,000 to $50,000.

Longer jackpot odds mean more drawings without a winner. More drawings without a winner mean bigger rollovers. Within months, the game had its first billion-dollar jackpot. To see how these odds work out for every prize level, read Powerball odds explained.

Monday drawings and Double Play (August 2021)

For most of its history Powerball drew twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday. On August 23, 2021, a Monday drawing was added. Drawings now take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. Powerball said the third drawing would not change the odds or the prize amounts. It does give jackpots more chances to grow each week.

Double Play launched the same night. It's an optional $1 add-on that enters your numbers in a second drawing held right after the main one, with a top cash prize of $10 million. It started in 13 lotteries. As of October 2026, Powerball lists 30 jurisdictions that offer it.

Where Powerball is played and drawn

Powerball is run by the lotteries that sell it, working through MUSL. It isn't a federal program.

• Jurisdictions: Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. That's 48 U.S. lottery jurisdictions. Mississippi, which started its lottery in 2019 and began selling Powerball in January 2020, was the last state to join.
• Not sold in: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. None of these states runs a lottery.
• Drawing location: Drawings are held at the Florida Lottery's studio in Tallahassee. The show moved there in 2012. Earlier drawings took place in Iowa and, for a time, in Orlando.
• United Kingdom: In 2026, Powerball tickets went on sale in the United Kingdom through Allwyn, the operator of the U.K. National Lottery. Sales began on July 21, 2026, and U.K. players were in the July 23 drawing. The U.K. version costs £4 per line, and it has some prize tiers that U.S. players don't get.

The age of billion-dollar jackpots

Longer odds, a $2 price and three drawings a week have produced jackpots that would have been unthinkable in 1992.

• January 13, 2016: Powerball became the first U.S. lottery game to reach a $1 billion jackpot. Three tickets, sold in California, Florida and Tennessee, split an advertised $1.586 billion.
• November 7, 2022: A single ticket sold in California won $2.04 billion, the largest lottery jackpot in history. A delay at one lottery pushed the drawing to the morning of November 8.
• 2025: Two of the largest jackpots ever were won within four months. On September 6, tickets in Missouri and Texas shared $1.787 billion. On Christmas Eve, a single ticket in Arkansas won $1.817 billion.
• August 12, 2026: A ticket sold in Illinois won $1.04 billion. It was the largest Powerball jackpot of 2026 as of early October.

Every one of those headline numbers is an estimated annuity value, paid over 30 installments. The lump-sum cash option is much lower, often less than half. Our guide to lump sum vs. annuity explains the difference, and Powerball taxes explained covers what comes out before you see the money. For the full ranking, see our list of the biggest Powerball jackpots.

Changes during the pandemic

In April 2020, with ticket sales falling during the COVID-19 pandemic, Powerball cut its starting jackpot from $40 million to $20 million. The starting jackpot has stayed at $20 million since then. Two tickets sold in Florida and Texas split a $20 million jackpot in May 2026.

What has stayed the same

Through every change, a few things have held steady:

1. Every combination has the same chance. The drawings are random, and no number or pattern is more likely than another.
2. Most prizes are fixed. Only the jackpot grows. Lower tiers pay set amounts (except in California, where prizes are pari-mutuel by law).
3. Rules are local. Claim deadlines, age limits and tax rules come from each state lottery, not from a single national office.

If you're new to the game, start with our beginner's guide to playing Powerball. And whatever its history, Powerball is entertainment, not an investment. If playing ever stops being fun, free and confidential help is available. Call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET, or call 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), which many state lotteries still list.

Frequently asked questions

When was the first Powerball drawing?

The first Powerball drawing was held on April 22, 1992. Tickets went on sale three days earlier, on April 19. Before that, the same multi-state group ran Lotto America, which started in 1988.

When did Powerball switch to 69 white balls and 26 red balls?

The current matrix began with the drawing of October 7, 2015. Since then the jackpot odds have been 1 in 292,201,338.

When did Powerball tickets go up to $2?

The price doubled from $1 to $2 with the game changes of January 15, 2012. The starting jackpot and the Match 5 prize went up at the same time.

When did Powerball add Monday drawings?

The first Monday drawing was held on August 23, 2021. Double Play launched the same night.

Who runs Powerball?

Powerball is run by the participating lotteries through the Multi-State Lottery Association. Each state or territory lottery sells tickets, pays prizes and sets its own claim rules. You can find official game information at powerball.com.

The bottom line

Powerball started in 1988 as a way for small states to offer big jackpots. It became Powerball in 1992 and has been redesigned many times since. The changes that matter most to players today are the $2 price from 2012, the 69/26 matrix from 2015 and the three-drawings-a-week schedule from 2021. Together they explain why jackpots now regularly pass $1 billion, and why winning one is so unlikely. For current rules and results, the official sources are powerball.com and your state lottery's website.