You are at the counter, buying your Powerball ticket. The clerk asks, “Do you want to add the Power Play for an extra dollar?”
Most people hesitate. Is it just a way for the lottery commission to squeeze more money out of you? Or is it a smart bet? Here is what the rules actually say — including the two parts most people miss.
What is Power Play?
For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times. Two details decide whether that is worth a dollar. The 10× multiplier is only in the pool when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less — at the big jackpots everyone talks about, it is not available at all. And the Match 5 prize does not multiply like the rest: $1 million becomes a flat $2 million with Power Play, whatever multiplier is drawn.
Important Rule: The multiplier does not apply to the Jackpot. The Jackpot is always the Jackpot. But for everything else, it changes the game.
Next