The Powerball Drawings are Moving to Florida

There’s a big change in the works for Powerball, one that will lead to bigger, faster-growing jackpots in the game, and that’s something we know players want. But the change also will involve a revamp of Powerball’s televised drawings, so all of the lotteries in the game are busy working on a new look and feel for the twice-a-week broadcasts.

Unfortunately, the story about the change for the drawings has been mis-reported so many times it’s become something of an urban legend. I’m going to try to set the record straight here. To see the news release that started it all, click here. The big announcement at the time was that the Florida Lottery had become the 32nd member of the Powerball game.  Powerball tickets will begin being sold in Florida on Jan. 4. With that addition, Powerball will be played in 30 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A larger population base playing the game will mean larger, faster-growing jackpots, so from a player perspective, we view that as a positive.   

The news release also announced that Powerball’s live, televised drawings will continue, but the drawings will be moving to Florida and the look and feel of the broadcasts will be updated to create something new and special. The updates are still in the works and all of the lotteries in the game are involved in the discussions.

That’s about the point where people seem to have stopped listening or just misunderstood what was being said. The announcement somehow morphed into the rumor that Powerball is leaving Iowa and after the beginning of the new year, you won’t be able to buy tickets here anymore. Let me correct that right now: Powerball is NOT leaving Iowa. You will continue to be able to play the game and do a little dreaming about winning the jackpot.      

Still, the rumor continues. We get calls, e-mails and letters about it nearly every day and whenever someone knows that I work for the lottery, they’ll ask: “Is it true that you won’t be able to buy Powerball tickets in Iowa anymore?” No, it’s not true!

Part of me has to smile because it’s a rather ridiculous idea. Iowa Lottery players bought nearly $64 million in Powerball tickets last year and the game very definitely is continuing its run as the world’s most popular big jackpot game. Iowans obviously enjoy playing Powerball, so why would we want that to end?   

It is true that Powerball’s drawings are moving to a new location. You likely know that the game’s drawings have been held in Iowa since its start, and those of us at the Iowa Lottery have always been proud that the televised broadcasts have originated from the Des Moines area. But we’ve also based our decisions through the years on what would be best for the game and ultimately, our players. We believe the changes underway in Powerball will mean even more success for it and we’re looking forward to the events to come.   

The headquarters of the organization that oversees Powerball will remain right here in Iowa. The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) administers Powerball and its drawings on behalf of all the lotteries that are members of the game, and MUSL will remain in Urbandale. Only the drawings will move. A lot of players likely haven’t even been aware that Powerball’s drawings have been held in Iowa, they just know they’re live on Wednesday and Saturday nights. That will remain the same, the drawings will just be broadcast from a different location.

Stay tuned to this blog and as we know more information about the changes in the Powerball drawings, we’ll share the details with you here! And yes, you can keep playing Powerball in Iowa! 

Comments

[Mary Neubauer]

Hi, Ed. Actually, we advertise Powerball and other Iowa Lottery products every day and in lots of different ways. Whether it’s with information we have on our Web site, the winning numbers we distribute to the media and the public, billboards showing the jackpot, or ads in the newspaper and on TV and the radio, we try to keep information out there in as many forms as possible. TV is one of the ways we advertise, but there are lots of others because you can’t use just one medium to get your message out. Thanks for your comment! Mary N.

[E Hassett]

So why is the Powerball drawing being moved to Florida?

[Edward B]

All, I want to know is why powerball is not advertised on T.V. until it gets to be a large amount, does that mean you don't want us to buy until that time? Is the lottery supporting gambling at that time? WHY--Ed