With the changes coming next month in Powerball®, a countdown starts tonight on the number of drawings you can buy tickets for in advance. This is a standard procedure when a redesign is made in the game, and it’s aimed at ensuring you have valid tickets.
In lotto games like Powerball, you can buy tickets for one drawing at a time or for several drawings in a row. Some people like to do their lottery “shopping” for multiple drawings all at once, while others want to buy their tickets one at a time.
Normally, you can buy tickets for up to 10 consecutive drawings in advance here in Iowa. But after the 8:59 p.m. sales cutoff time for tonight’s drawing, that number will be down to nine. And after Saturday night’s drawing, it will be down to eight.
The countdown on advance plays will reach zero just before the new features in Powerball take effect on Oct. 4. Once sales begin in the “new” Powerball, things will reset and you’ll be able to buy tickets for up to 10 drawings in advance again here in Iowa.
So, why the countdown? The numbers that players can choose from are changing. When the redesign debuts, you’ll choose your first five numbers from a set of 69 (currently 59) white balls and your Powerball from a pool of 26 (currently 35) red balls. The end result will be better overall odds of winning any prize in the game with longer odds of winning the jackpot.
Well, let’s say you normally play Powerball 34. After Oct. 3, that number won’t be available in the Powerball pool, so you wouldn’t want to play it. That’s why there’s a countdown on advance plays. We want to make sure you have the same shot at winning as everyone else.
Please note that the countdown on advance plays in Powerball does not impact the advance plays available in our other lotto games. It’s a Powerball-specific change for the next month or so.
Great question, Todd. Yes, after the matrix change that takes place on Oct. 4, you will be able to go back to purchasing 10 advanced draws here in Iowa. Once each retailer gets their system up and running on Sunday, Oct. 4, at that point, you can go ahead and make the advanced draws per usual. Good luck on your tickets and thanks for playing.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | October 02, 2015 at 02:50 PM
I quit playing the last time you added numbers. Now I will play even less. I would sooner have more winners win smaller prizes. This multi trillion jackpot bull---- is for the birds. Post this if you dare!
Posted by: Roger klaas | October 02, 2015 at 11:09 AM
After the update we can go back to buying 10 plays in advance and what day will that happen?
Posted by: Todd Meyer | October 02, 2015 at 06:59 AM
Hi, Brian. Great suggestion. Plays over the Internet are not something that's available here in Iowa yet, but know that we are watching the developments in states that do have that option, and we understand the convenience it would be for players. For now, play slips are available where you can mark the numbers you've chosen and then just use that same play slip from drawing to drawing.
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | September 28, 2015 at 04:39 PM
How about an option on the website to save sets of numbers played, for those of us that play the same numbers every week. It's annoying to have to enter the numbers in for two different pools I'm in when the numbers are the same every week.
Thanks
Posted by: Brian | September 25, 2015 at 06:27 PM