History of Powerball in Timeline
Powerball is a lottery game available in 45 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It's managed by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL). Drawings occur three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, originating from the Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee. Powerball is known for its large jackpots, rivaled by games like Mega Millions, which MUSL also oversees.
16 hours ago : Powerball Numbers Announced: Delaware Claims Victory; Next Drawing Details Revealed
The Powerball winning numbers for April 6 were announced, with a winner in Delaware. The jackpot details for the next drawing were also revealed, creating excitement for future participants and potential winners.
1987: WGN-TV loses broadcast rights to WFLD
In 1987, WGN-TV lost broadcast rights to Chicago's Fox owned-and-operated station WFLD.
1988: WFLD acquires broadcast rights from WGN-TV
In 1988, Chicago's WFLD acquired broadcast rights of Illinois Lottery drawings from WGN-TV.
1988: Iowa Radio Personality Hosts MUSL Drawings
In 1988, Mike Pace started hosting MUSL drawings since Lotto America began.
1988: Lotto America Begins
In 1988, Powerball's predecessor, a multi-state game known as Lotto America, was launched.
April 19, 1992: Powerball Game Name Change
On April 19, 1992, Lotto America was officially changed to Powerball.
1992: Illinois Lottery Drawings Aired Nationally
In 1992, Illinois became the second multi-jurisdictional lottery game, and its drawings were carried nationally on WGN-TV.
August 1996: Powerball "On the Road" and Georgia Leaves
In August 1996, Powerball held five remote drawings at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Shortly after, Georgia left Powerball to join The Big Game.
November 2, 1997: Annuity Payments Change
On November 2, 1997, the annuity for Powerball was changed from 20 to 25 yearly payments, and the cash option was added.
1997: Cash option introduced
In 1997, when the cash option was introduced, all Powerball players had to choose between cash or annuity when playing.
1998: Florida Given Permission to Participate in Multi-State Game
In 1998, Florida was given permission to participate in a multi-state game, initially planning to offer Powerball.
1999: Regulation phased out
By 1999, the regulation requiring all Powerball players to choose between cash or annuity when playing was phased out.
1999: Machine model change
In 1999, Powerball switched the model of machine used for drawings from the Criterion, manufactured by Beitel Lottery Products, to the Halogen, manufactured by Smartplay International.
March 7, 2001: Power Play Added to Powerball
On March 7, 2001, the Power Play option was added to Powerball, allowing players to multiply non-jackpot winnings by up to five for an extra $1 per game.
2001: Power Play Introduced
In 2001, the Power Play option was introduced to the Powerball lottery.
2001: Power Play begins with a special wheel
In 2001, when Power Play began, it was drawn using a special wheel.
December 25, 2002: West Virginia man wins record jackpot
On December 25, 2002, a construction firm president from Putnam County, West Virginia, won $314.9 million, setting a new record for a single ticket in an American lottery.
2002: Previous winners cash payout
In 2002, a previous winner had a larger cash payout.
March 30, 2005: Many second-prize winners
On March 30, 2005, the Powerball drawing produced 110 second-prize winners, with a total payout of $19.4 million.
October 19, 2005: Oregon family wins jackpot
On October 19, 2005, a family from Jacksonville, Oregon, won $340 million.
2005: Mega Millions Comes to California
Mega Millions became available in California in 2005.
February 18, 2006: Nebraska meatpacking plant workers win jackpot
On February 18, 2006, a jackpot of $365 million was won by one ticket in Nebraska and shared by eight people who worked at a meatpacking plant.
2006: Slot machines released
In 2006, WMS Gaming released a range of slot machines under the Powerball brand name.
2006: MUSL replaced a 5x space on the Power Play wheel with a 10x space
In 2006, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) replaced one of the 5× spaces on the Power Play wheel with a 10× space.
August 25, 2007: Retired auto worker wins jackpot
On August 25, 2007, a jackpot worth $314 million was won by a retired auto worker from Ohio.
2007: MUSL replaced a 5x space on the Power Play wheel with a 10x space
In 2007, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) replaced one of the 5× spaces on the Power Play wheel with a 10× space.
2008: Florida Approved to Join MUSL
In 2008, Florida Governor Charlie Crist allowed Florida to join MUSL.
2008: 10x multiplier returned
In 2008, the 10× multiplier returned to Power Play, with the ball landing in the 10× space twice.
2008: Powerball Drawings in Iowa
Through 2008, Powerball drawings were typically held at Screenscape Studios in West Des Moines, Iowa, hosted by Mike Pace since Lotto America began in 1988.
January 4, 2009: Florida Joins MUSL
On January 4, 2009, Florida officially joined MUSL.
March 2009: New Jersey Seeks Permission to Join Powerball
In March 2009, New Jersey sought permission to join Powerball, leading to discussions about allowing cross-selling between Mega Millions and Powerball.
October 31, 2009: Arkansas Joins MUSL
On October 31, 2009, Arkansas became the 33rd MUSL member.
2009: 10x Multiplier Absent
In 2009, the 10× multiplier was absent from the Power Play option.
January 31, 2010: Cross-Sell Expansion
On January 31, 2010, the date of the cross-sell expansion, Mega Millions and MUSL each added lotteries.
March 1, 2010: Montana Lottery Joins Mega Millions
On March 1, 2010, the Montana Lottery joined Mega Millions.
March 13, 2010: New Jersey Wins Powerball Jackpot
On March 13, 2010, New Jersey became the first Mega Millions-only member to produce a jackpot-winning Powerball ticket, worth over $211 million.
March 20, 2010: Nebraska Adds Mega Millions
On March 20, 2010, Nebraska added Mega Millions.
March 28, 2010: Oregon Joins Mega Millions
On March 28, 2010, Oregon joined Mega Millions.
April 16, 2010: Ohio Lottery Adds Powerball
April 18, 2010: Arizona Joins Mega Millions
On April 18, 2010, Arizona joined Mega Millions.
May 9, 2010: Maine Adds Mega Millions
On May 9, 2010, Maine added Mega Millions.
May 2010: 10x multiplier returned after Power Play drawing changed to RNG
In May 2010, the 10× multiplier returned to Power Play after the Power Play drawing was changed to a Random Number Generator (RNG).
May 16, 2010: Colorado and South Dakota Join Mega Millions
On May 16, 2010, Colorado and South Dakota joined Mega Millions.
May 28, 2010: North Carolina Wins Mega Millions Jackpot
On May 28, 2010, North Carolina became the first MUSL member to produce a jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket, worth $12 million.
June 2, 2010: Ohio Wins Powerball Jackpot
On June 2, 2010, Ohio won a Powerball jackpot, becoming the first lottery selling either Mega Millions or Powerball to provide a jackpot-winning ticket for its newer game.
June 12, 2010: Promotion extended
On June 12, 2010, the 10x multiplier was finally drawn.
June 23, 2010: Jackpot Shared Between Ohio and Montana
On June 23, 2010, Ohio and Montana shared a Powerball jackpot, marking the first time a jackpot was shared through lotteries that sold competing games before the cross-selling expansion.
October 2010: U.S. Virgin Islands Joins Mega Millions
In October 2010, the U.S. Virgin Islands joined Mega Millions.
2010: Scratchcard introduced
In 2010, the New York Lottery introduced a Powerball scratchcard with a top prize of $1 million (annuity).
November 2011: Connecticut financial executives share jackpot
In November 2011, three financial executives from Greenwich, Connecticut, shared a jackpot of $254.2 million.
January 15, 2012: Powerball Price Increase and Format Changes
On January 15, 2012, the price of a Powerball play doubled to $2, PowerPlay became $3, the minimum jackpot doubled to $40 million, and the drawings moved to Tallahassee.
2012: Powerball Format Change
In 2012, a format change increased the average jackpot win, the starting jackpot, and modified the Power Play option while eliminating the bonus second prize.
2012: Powerball changes result in fixed Power Play prizes
In 2012, changes to Powerball resulted in all eight lower-tier levels having "fixed" Power Play prizes.
2012: Powerball Changes Aim for Larger Jackpots
In 2012, changes were made to Powerball to increase the frequency of large jackpots, with hopes of reaching $500 million and even $1 billion.
April 8, 2013: California Joins Powerball
On April 8, 2013, California joined Powerball.
May 18, 2013: Florida ticket wins world's largest one-ticket jackpot
On May 18, 2013, a Powerball ticket sold in Zephyrhills, Florida, won the world's largest one-ticket jackpot at the time, approximately $590.5 million.
January 19, 2014: PowerPlay Modified
On January 19, 2014, PowerPlay was modified with a new ball distribution.
January 22, 2014: Return of Variable Power Play Option
On January 22, 2014, the variable Power Play option (2x-5x) returned for multiplying non-jackpot prizes.
October 2014: Puerto Rico Joins Powerball
In October 2014, Puerto Rico joined Powerball, becoming the first mainly Spanish-speaking jurisdiction to offer the game.
October 3, 2015: Former prizes/odds
Former prizes and odds were listed on October 3, 2015.
October 4, 2015: Powerball Format Changes
On October 4, 2015, the Powerball format changed, increasing the white-ball pool and decreasing the Powerball pool, impacting odds and prize amounts.
October 7, 2015: Payouts Released
Payouts were announced on October 7, 2015.
2015: Illinois Lottery Drawings End on WGN-TV
In 2015, WGN-TV stopped airing Illinois Lottery drawings nationally.
January 13, 2016: World's largest lottery jackpot split among three tickets
On January 13, 2016, the world's largest lottery jackpot at the time, approximately $1.586 billion, was split among three Powerball tickets in California, Florida, and Tennessee.
2016: Puerto Rico Still Not Part of Mega Millions
As of 2016, Puerto Rico had not joined Mega Millions.
August 23, 2017: Massachusetts ticket wins large prize
On August 23, 2017, the owner of a Powerball ticket sold in Chicopee, Massachusetts, won more than $750 million.
March 27, 2019: Wisconsin ticket wins third-largest Powerball jackpot
On March 27, 2019, a single Powerball ticket purchased in Wisconsin was the only winner of a $768.4 million jackpot, the third largest in U.S. lottery history.
April 2, 2020: Powerball Jackpot Reset Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
On April 2, 2020, the Powerball starting jackpot amount was temporarily reset from $40 million to $20 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 10, 2021: Idaho Legislature Votes to End Participation in Powerball
On March 10, 2021, the Idaho Legislature voted to end the state's participation in Powerball due to fears of revenue being used for issues opposed by the state's Republican majority.
May 23, 2021: Powerball Announces Monday Drawings and Double Play Option
On May 23, 2021, Powerball announced that starting on August 23, 2021, draws would occur on Mondays in addition to Wednesdays and Saturdays, and a new Double Play option would be added.
August 2021: Potential Date for Non-US Jurisdictions to Join Powerball
August 2021 was the initially planned date for non-US jurisdictions to join Powerball, but the expansion was put on hold.
August 23, 2021: New Draw Schedule
Starting August 23, 2021, draws would occur on Monday, in addition to Wednesday and Saturday.
March 16, 2022: Powerball Drawing Delayed
Prior to November 7, there had been delays on March 16, 2022.
November 7, 2022: Powerball Drawing Delayed
The November 7, 2022, drawing of the $2.04 billion jackpot was delayed due to incomplete security protocols.
November 8, 2022: California ticket wins largest Powerball jackpot
On November 8, 2022, a single Powerball ticket purchased in Altadena, California, won a $2.04 billion jackpot, the largest in U.S. lottery history.
2022: Record-Breaking Jackpot
In 2022, Powerball awarded a record-breaking $2.04 billion jackpot to a ticket purchased in Altadena, California.
2022: Planned UK Expansion
Powerball planned to expand its operations in the United Kingdom in 2022.
February 14, 2023: Winner of largest Powerball jackpot claimed prize
On February 14, 2023, Edwin Castro claimed the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot he won on November 8, 2022.
July 19, 2023: California ticket wins billion dollar jackpot
On July 19, 2023, a single Powerball ticket purchased in Los Angeles, California, was the only winner of a $1.08 billion jackpot.
October 11, 2023: California ticket wins second-largest Powerball jackpot
On October 11, 2023, a single Powerball ticket purchased in Frazier Park, California, was the only winner of a $1.76 billion jackpot, the second-largest in U.S. lottery history.
Mentioned in this timeline
California is a U S state on the Pacific Coast...
Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and...
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of...
Virginia a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of...
Florida located in the southeastern United States is a peninsula...
Massachusetts officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state located...
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