The popularity of the Powerball Lottery game can be attributed to a simple fact: The jackpots are higher and they climb much faster! Because it is a multi-state game, the jackpots and other prizes are much higher than single state games. Powerball is played in 29 states, Washington D.C. and the Virgin Islands. The Powerball Lottery has more state members than any other multi-state game. Because of this, the jackpots climb to extremely high levels at a rapid rates!

Powerball Benefits You and Your State

Not only is Powerball an exciting and profitable game, it is also beneficial to players and their states. All profits made by the Powerball lottery go back to the 31 participating member lotteries. These member lotteries use their lottery profits in maybe ways to support state programs. Many states use lottery profits to to support public education, public health, college scholarships, and many other programs. For example, since 1974, the Ohio Lottery has provided more than $15 billion to public education. In 2007 alone, the Virginia Lottery contributed $437.1 million to public education. The Powerball game helps to make these state contributions possible.

History of Powerball

In 1987 the Multi-State Lottery Association formed. By 1992 16 states had joined the MUSL and Powerball was born. In 2006 North Carolina became the 31st member to join power ball. There are now 39 Powerball members awaiting the Powerball results every Wednesday and Saturday night. On March 16, 2008 a $276.3 Million Jackpot was won in West Virginia.

Biggest Powerball Winner

In 2002, a 55-year-old contractor, Jack Whittaker won the $314.9 million Christmas Day jackpot - the biggest undivided lottery prize in history. Whittaker, who lives in Charleston, and is president of three construction companies that, opted to take a lump sum of $170 million before taxes, instead of receiving his winnings in 30 annual installments. Before the Christmas 2002 prize, the largest Powerball jackpot ever won was $295.7 million in July of 1998. The biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history was a Big Game prize of $363 million, won in May of 2000. The second-biggest jackpot was a $331 million Big Game prize.

How to Buy Powerball Lottery Tickets

Several states offer Powerball drawings and the easiest way to play Powerball is to log onto the official state websites. These sites explain how to purchase tickets, and often times tickets can be purchased online so you can play most state lotteries from the comfort of your own home. You can also refer to official state websites for custom lottery news. Many sites offer lottery number generators to help make your lottery number picking easier for you. If you would like to purchase your tickets in person, you can also visit a local lottery terminal. No matter how you choose to purchase your tickets, or which tickets you choose to buy, you're bound to have some fun!