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POWERBALL TICKET PRICE TO INCREASE IN 2012, BUT SO WILL THE CHANCES OF WINNING
October 22, 2011
On January 15, 2012, the price of a Powerball ticket will go from $1 to $2. Along with the price change, the odds of winning will increase, as will the game’s starting jackpot. The changes will coincide with the 20th anniversary of Powerball in 2012.
The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) is a non-profit association that represents the 33 original state lotteries that participate in Powerball. MUSL oversees the administration of the multi-state jackpot game. The Massachusetts Lottery joined the Powerball game in 2010 and is not a MUSL member. As such, Massachusetts does not have a vote on matters pertaining to the game. Similarly, MUSL member lotteries do not have voting powers in Mega Millions – the multi-state game in which Massachusetts was a founding member.
Several exciting improvements will be made to Powerball. The first five numbers will still be chosen from 1 to 59, but the Power Ball number will shrink from 39 to 35 available numbers, giving players better odds. The current odds of winning the jackpot are approximately 1:195 million. With the game changes, those odds will drop to approximately 1:175 million. Also, the starting top prize will double to $40 million. The prize for matching the first five numbers, but not the Power Ball also will increase to $1 million, up from $200,000.
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