The Powerball drawing takes place every Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. This means that in New Jersey, which is in the Eastern Time Zone, the Powerball drawing is at 10:59 p.m. local time on draw nights.
What states participate in Powerball?
Currently, 45 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands offer Powerball. The participating jurisdictions are:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
The 5 states that do not currently participate in Powerball are: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, and Utah. However, Powerball tickets are sold in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, North Dakota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, even though those jurisdictions do not participate directly.
What time zone is New Jersey in?
New Jersey is in the Eastern Time Zone. The Eastern Time Zone includes states on the eastern side of the United States from Maine down to Florida. Other states in the Eastern Time Zone are:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Being in the Eastern Time Zone means that the local time in New Jersey is 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). During Daylight Saving Time in the summer, the Eastern Time Zone is 4 hours behind UTC.
What time is the Powerball drawing in the Eastern Time Zone?
The Powerball drawing takes place at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Here is what this time looks like in some other time zones around the U.S. on draw nights:
| Time Zone | Powerball Draw Time |
|---|---|
| Eastern | 10:59 p.m. |
| Central | 9:59 p.m. |
| Mountain | 8:59 p.m. |
| Pacific | 7:59 p.m. |
| Alaska | 6:59 p.m. |
| Hawaii | 5:59 p.m. |
So while the draw always occurs at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, local times vary across the different time zones in the United States.
Why is the Powerball drawing at 10:59 p.m. Eastern?
Powerball purposely holds its drawings late in the evening to allow for maximum ticket sales during the day leading up to the draw. With a 10:59 p.m. Eastern draw time, all Powerball jurisdictions can sell tickets up until a few hours before the drawing.
Having the draw late at night also builds excitement and interest as people look forward to watching the drawing to see the winning numbers. It creates suspense across the country as everyone awaits the delayed broadcast in their local time zone.
Where can I watch the Powerball drawing live?
There are a few ways to watch the Powerball drawings live:
- On television – Many local TV stations broadcast the drawing live in conjunction with the lottery in their state. Check your local listings for availability.
- Online – Powerball makes the drawings available to stream online at Powerball.com. The drawings are also uploaded after airing on YouTube.
- In person – Some states allow visitors to attend the drawings in person. For example, drawings are open to the public at the Florida Lottery studios in Tallahassee. Check with your state lottery to see if in-person viewing is an option.
The drawings are conducted and monitored closely at the Powerball draw studio in Tallahassee, Florida under tight security and regulations. The general public is not allowed into the studio itself during drawings, but two witnesses observe from a platform.
How are the Powerball winning numbers selected?
Powerball utilizes random number generator machines to randomly select the winning numbers during each drawing. Powerball currently has two drawing machines, nicknamed “Hal” and “Helen,” which alternate for use.
Prior to each drawing, officials test the machines extensively with multiple draws and ball sets to ensure proper operation and randomization. The drawing machines select each of the five white ball numbers (from 1 to 69) and the Powerball (from 1 to 26).
The balls are made of rubber and are weighed precisely to ensure they all have an equal chance of being selected. The machines draw the balls into individual tubes before dropping them into a central chute to be called and displayed to the public.
What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot prize by matching all 5 white balls and the red Powerball are incredibly steep at 1 in 292,201,338. This makes matching all 6 numbers correctly a very difficult task.
Here are the overall odds of winning any Powerball prize across the different prize levels:
| Prize Level | Odds of Winning |
|---|---|
| Jackpot | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| $1 million | 1 in 11,688,053.52 |
| $50,000 | 1 in 913,129.18 |
| $100 | 1 in 36.87 |
| $100 | 1 in 24.87 |
| $7 | 1 in 5.79 |
| $4 | 1 in 91.98 |
As you can see, lower prize levels have much more favorable odds, while it is extremely difficult to win the jackpot. But it only takes one ticket to win, no matter the odds!
Has anyone in New Jersey ever won the Powerball jackpot?
Yes, there have been several major Powerball jackpot winners from New Jersey over the years. Here are some of the biggest Powerball jackpots won by players in New Jersey:
- $338.3 million – Won on March 23, 2013 by a couple from Vernon, NJ
- $211.7 million – Won on August 25, 2007 by an auto repair shop owner from Little Falls, NJ
- $190 million – Won on June 15, 2013 by a couple from Waretown, NJ
- $183 million – Won on June 7, 2003 by an electrical contractor from Seaside Heights, NJ
- $141 million – Won on January 3, 2004 by a retired couple from Monmouth Junction, NJ
In total, over a dozen jackpots worth $100 million or more have been won by New Jersey players over the history of Powerball in the state.
What was the biggest Powerball jackpot won in New Jersey?
The biggest Powerball jackpot won to date by a New Jersey player was $338.3 million. The winning ticket was sold at a supermarket in Vernon, New Jersey for the March 23, 2013 drawing.
The winners were identified as Pedro Quezada, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who ran a bodega in Passaic at the time. Quezada elected to take the $211 million lump sum cash option after taxes.
Has anyone in New Jersey won recently?
There has not been a jackpot winner from New Jersey in the past couple years. But here are some notable recent wins in the state:
- February 2021 – A $150,000 Powerball prize won in Newark
- January 2021 – A $50,000 Powerball prize won in Camden County
- December 2020 – A $150,000 Powerball prize won in Somerset County
- November 2020 – Two $50,000 Powerball winners in Bergen County
So while the jackpot has eluded New Jersey players lately, they have still managed some significant lower-tier wins in recent drawings.
What was the biggest Powerball jackpot ever?
The current record Powerball jackpot stands at a whopping $1.586 billion. This epic prize was split by three tickets on January 13, 2016. The lucky winners came from California, Florida and Tennessee.
Here are the top 10 largest Powerball jackpots to date:
| Jackpot Amount | Drawing Date |
|---|---|
| $1.586 billion | 1/13/2016 |
| $768.4 million | 3/27/2019 |
| $758.7 million | 8/23/2017 |
| $731.1 million | 1/20/2021 |
| $699.8 million | 10/4/2021 |
| $687.8 million | 10/27/2018 |
| $590.5 million | 5/18/2013 |
| $587.5 million | 11/28/2012 |
| $564.1 million | 2/11/2015 |
| $559.7 million | 1/6/2018 |
Lottery enthusiasts closely watch to see when the next record jackpot occurs surpassing the historic $1.586 billion amount won in 2016.
How do people usually pick their Powerball numbers?
There are many strategies and methods people use to select Powerball numbers. Some of the most common include:
- Birthdays – Using significant dates like birthdays and anniversaries
- Quick Picks – Having the lottery terminal randomly select numbers
- Numerology – Choosing numbers based on numeric patterns or meanings
- Hot and cold numbers – Selecting often drawn numbers or those overdue
- Lucky numbers – Picking meaningful numbers likeaddresses or ages
- Group play – Playing a shared set of numbers with a group of people
At the end of the day, every possible number combination has an equal chance of winning. So the key is just playing consistently for your chance to hit it big.
Where does the Powerball money go?
In every jurisdiction, a large portion of Powerball sales goes to fund public programs and services. In New Jersey, the state lottery contributes billions to educational institutions across the state.
The New Jersey Lottery has contributed over $30 billion to state education programs since its inception in 1970. Powerball sales make up a significant portion of that revenue.
Beyond education, money generated from Powerball also helps New Jersey support veterans homes, school nutrition programs, homes for disabled residents, and more.
Can out-of-state residents win Powerball in New Jersey?
Yes, you do not have to be a New Jersey resident to purchase Powerball tickets and win prizes in the state. Powerball tickets can be purchased by anyone within the state, regardless of where they live.
Some large jackpots have been won over the years by out-of-state residents visiting or passing through New Jersey. All winners have to come back to New Jersey to claim their prizes.
Conclusion
In summary, the Powerball drawing occurs at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday and Saturday nights in New Jersey. Players looking to win big can purchase tickets for $2 each at thousands of authorized retailers across the state until 10:45 p.m. on draw nights.
Huge jackpots in excess of $100 million create lots of excitement and dreams of life-changing riches. While tough to beat the incredible odds, matching those five white balls and red Powerball can make you New Jersey’s next multimillionaire!
