Powerball to Increase Drawings, Monday Draw Starts in August

Drawings of the most popular US lottery – the Powerball – will increase in August. Powerball currently has drawings on Wednesday and Saturday, but starting August 23, a Monday draw will be introduced.

Most Popular US Lottery to Increase Drawings

America’s favorite lottery game, Powerball, revealed that it will be expanding its drawings this summer. Currently, the lottery draws are every Wednesday and Saturday from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida at 10:59 pm ET. However, this will change starting from August 23, when Powerball will add a third draw a week which will be done every Monday night. The change is expected to “generate more revenue for education and promote flexibility in implementing future changes to the times, place or manner of Powerball drawings,” according to a proposal dated April 28, 2021.

Consequently, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) that currently administers the Powerball concluded that more customers can be attracted via more frequent drawings and revealed that the planned change will be implemented in August. Keeping in mind the economic impact of the pandemic, the latest move does not come unexpectedly. In fact, last year, at the start of the global pandemic, both Powerball and Mega Millions slashed jackpots in half due to reduced sales.

Powerball Plans to Expand Overseas

Currently, Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as in Washington, DC, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Although Powerball will be increasing the draws, the $2 price per ticket cost will remain unchanged. Furthermore, there won’t be any changes to the price of the optional $1 Power Play multiplier, as well as odds, cutoff times and other game options. Besides expanding draws, Powerball has announced earlier this year that it plans to expand to Australia, although it is not yet sure when this will happen. Additionally, the United Kingdom is also on the list for possible future expansion of the lottery.

With that in mind, not everyone is enthusiastic about the possible expansion of the lottery. After operating for more than 30 years in Idaho, lawmakers voted to stop the Powerball this August. Idaho lawmakers justified their decision by revealing that the lottery’s expansion overseas is in dispute with existing state laws. Furthermore, the state cited fears about foreign participation.

On the bright side, players in states where the Powerball is allowed still have a shot at this Thursday’s drawing. The estimated jackpot is currently $88 million, or $62.1 million cash value. To win the Powerball jackpot, players need to guess five numbers from 1 to 69, and one Powerball number from 1 to 26.