Powerball simulator
See what happens if you buy Powerball tickets — from 1 to 1,000,000, or until you hit the jackpot. With two 3D draw machines, your tickets checked against each draw and a chart of your net.
Buy 10 tickets and check them all against one draw.
Everything runs on this device. Draw results and your history are saved only in this browser.
Results so far
You haven't bought any tickets yet. Draw and the results will add up here.
| Prize | Wins | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Jackpot$20,000,000 (est.)5 white balls + Powerball | 0Official 1 in 292MActual — | Official 1 in 292MActual — |
| Match 5$1,000,0005 white balls | 0Official 1 in 11.7MActual — | Official 1 in 11.7MActual — |
| Match 4 + PB$50,0004 white balls + Powerball | 0Official 1 in 913,000Actual — | Official 1 in 913,000Actual — |
| Match 4$1004 white balls | 0Official 1 in 36,500Actual — | Official 1 in 36,500Actual — |
| Match 3 + PB$1003 white balls + Powerball | 0Official 1 in 14,500Actual — | Official 1 in 14,500Actual — |
| Match 3$73 white balls | 0Official 1 in 580Actual — | Official 1 in 580Actual — |
| Match 2 + PB$72 white balls + Powerball | 0Official 1 in 701Actual — | Official 1 in 701Actual — |
| Match 1 + PB$41 white ball + Powerball | 0Official 1 in 92Actual — | Official 1 in 92Actual — |
| PB only$4Powerball only | 0Official 1 in 38Actual — | Official 1 in 38Actual — |
Every draw is independent and random, and past results never change your chances. This is not a tool for predicting winners. It is for seeing the odds for yourself, and how the losses grow the more you buy.
Using the estimated prizes, the average return is about 19.4% (about $0.39 for 1 ticket). All prizes except the jackpot are the official fixed amounts (California alone pays pari-mutuel prizes based on sales). The jackpot is set by sales and interest rates and has no fixed minimum, so $20 million (annuity value, before taxes), where it often restarts after a win, is used as an estimate. The amounts in the table are without Power Play. Amounts are in US dollars, with no currency conversion.
Everything runs on this device. Draw results and your history are saved only in this browser.
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How to use
1. Choose your numbers
In the panel below, choose “Pick my own” under “How to pick”, then tap 5 white balls from 1 to 69 and, below them, 1 “Powerball (red ball)” from 1 to 26. “Quick pick” chooses them for you and “Copy” copies the numbers. To add Power Play, turn on the switch below.
In the panel on the right, choose “Pick my own” under “How to pick”, then click 5 white balls from 1 to 69 and, below them, 1 “Powerball (red ball)” from 1 to 26. “Quick pick” chooses them for you and “Copy” copies the numbers. To add Power Play, turn on the switch below.
2. Choose how many, then draw
Choose how many tickets (1 to 1 million) under “Tickets to buy”, then scroll back up and tap “Buy and draw”. Your tickets appear, the two drums spin, and 5 white balls and 1 red Powerball roll out one by one. When they stop, your tickets are checked against that draw. Winning tickets get a stamp and the net shows below.
Choose how many tickets (1 to 1 million) under “Tickets to buy” and press “Buy and draw” on the left. Your tickets appear, the two drums spin, and 5 white balls and 1 red Powerball roll out one by one. When they stop, your tickets are checked against that draw. Winning tickets get a stamp and the net shows below.
3. Keep going, or draw until the jackpot
Choose “Keep going” under “Repeat” to keep drawing with the same number of tickets until you tap “Stop”. “Until jackpot” fast-forwards, stops at the draw that wins the jackpot, and shows how many draws it took and how much you spent.
Choose “Keep going” under “Repeat” to keep drawing with the same number of tickets until you press “Stop”. “Until jackpot” fast-forwards, stops at the draw that wins the jackpot, and shows how many draws it took and how much you spent.
4. See the results so far and the chart
Scroll down to “Results so far” to compare the money spent, money won, net and return rate, the chart of the net over time, and the official and actual odds for each prize. Change “Tickets per week” to see how many years that equals.
In “Results so far” below the draw, compare the money spent, money won, net and return rate, the chart of the net over time, and the official and actual odds for each prize. Change “Tickets per week” to see how many years that equals.
Good for
Feeling how far away those record jackpots are
Choose “Until jackpot” to see how many tickets and how many dollars it took, and how many years it would take buying every week — as if you'd really bought them.
Anyone who saw a billion-dollar jackpot in the news and wondered
Seeing what Power Play actually changes
Flip one switch between a $2 ticket and a $3 ticket with Power Play, and compare what you won and how much was paid back for the same number of tickets.
People in the US, or visiting, who are thinking about playing
Probability lessons and school projects
Buy 1 million tickets a few times and watch the share of “PB only” and “Match 1 + PB” wins get closer and closer to the official odds. It's also a neat example of combining the odds of two separate draw machines.
Students and teachers of probability and statistics
Enjoying a US-style lottery draw
A big drum of 69 white balls and a small drum of 26 red balls spin, and the balls roll out one at a time. In full screen, it looks just like the draw on TV.
Families and friends looking for some fun
Good to know before you start
- It doesn't predict winning numbers or suggest “lucky” numbers. Every combination has the same chance.
- You can't buy real tickets here, and there are no links to ticket sellers or courier services.
- The jackpot is an estimate of $20 million, with no taxes, lump-sum reduction or currency conversion.
Powerball odds and how this simulator works
Powerball is a lottery sold in most US states. You pick 5 white balls from 1 to 69 and 1 red ball (the Powerball) from 1 to 26, drawn from a separate machine, for 292,201,338 possible combinations. The jackpot needs all 5 white balls and the Powerball to match, so the odds for one ticket are about 1 in 292.2 million. Draws are held 3 times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, so even buying 1 ticket for every draw, that works out to once every 1.87 million years or so on average. With a $20 million jackpot, the expected value of a $2 ticket is about $0.39 (a payout rate of about 19%). The odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 24.9, but most of those wins are the $4 prizes (Match 1 + PB and PB only).
For every draw, this simulator first decides the winning numbers and the Power Play multiplier with your device's cryptographic random numbers (crypto.getRandomValues), then checks all the tickets you bought for that draw. Even with 1 million tickets there is only one draw, just like the real lottery. The two 3D drums only replay numbers that were already decided. Checking runs separately from the screen (in a Web Worker), so the page doesn't freeze even with 1 million tickets. Your numbers and results stay on this device and are never sent anywhere.
FAQ
Common questions about the Powerball simulator.
Are my numbers or results sent anywhere?
No. All drawing and counting happens in the browser on this device, and your numbers and results stay only on this device. You can erase them with “Clear results”.
Can it predict which numbers are more likely to win?
No. Each Powerball draw is separate and completely random. Numbers that came up recently, “overdue” numbers, or patterns in the numbers you pick don't change your chances. This simulator is for fun and for understanding the odds, not for predictions.
How are the random numbers generated?
It uses the browser's cryptographic random number generator (crypto.getRandomValues) to pick, without bias, 5 different white balls from 1 to 69 and 1 Powerball from 1 to 26. The 3D drums only show the balls coming out in the order already decided — they never change the result.
What prize amounts are used?
All prizes except the jackpot are the official fixed amounts ($1 million, $50,000, $100, $100, $7, $7, $4 and $4). The jackpot changes a lot with sales and interest rates and has no fixed minimum, so $20 million (annuity value), where it often restarts after a win, is used as an estimate.
Are taxes or the cash option included?
No. Prizes are the amounts in the official prize chart (before taxes). The smaller lump-sum (cash) value of the jackpot and how annuity payments are split are not covered. Amounts stay in US dollars, with no currency conversion.
What are the expected value and payout rate?
With a $20 million jackpot, the expected value of a $2 ticket is about $0.39, a payout rate of about 19%. With Power Play, a $3 ticket has an expected value of about $0.89 (about 30%). The more you buy, the closer your winnings get to that share of what you spent — the rest is a loss.
What is Power Play?
For $1 more per ticket, every prize except the jackpot is multiplied by a multiplier drawn each time (2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x). The $1 million Match 5 prize becomes $2 million, whatever the multiplier. The multipliers come up as often as in the official draw (out of 43: 24 for 2x, 13 for 3x, 3 for 4x, 2 for 5x and 1 for 10x). 10x is only in play when the jackpot is $150 million or less. Each draw's multiplier is shown next to the winning numbers and in “All winning numbers”.
How long does “Until jackpot” take?
The odds are about 1 in 292.2 million, so on average it takes about 292.2 million tickets (about $584.4 million). Buying 1 million tickets per draw, that's about 290 draws on average, and with bad luck several times more. To quit partway, press “Stop” and the results so far are added.
Won't buying 1,000,000 tickets freeze the page?
No. Checking the tickets runs separately from the screen (in a Web Worker) and finishes while the draw machine spins. “Until jackpot” fast-forwards, and you can stop at any time with “Stop”.
The draw machine isn't showing in 3D.
The 3D drums use WebGL. On devices or browsers without WebGL, a flat version shows the balls coming out one at a time instead. Results are decided the same way. If “Reduce motion” is turned on in your device settings, the animation is skipped and the result is shown right away.
How are the “years” calculated?
The number of tickets bought is divided by “Tickets per week” × 52 weeks. Powerball is drawn 3 times a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, so if you buy 1 ticket for every draw, choose “3 tickets”.
Is it free?
Yes, it's free. No sign-up needed, and there are no ads.
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