Powerball Jackpot $146 Million: Next Drawing, Results and How to Play

General  |  September 2, 2026

Quick Answer

The Powerball jackpot is an estimated $146 million (annuity) — about $63.3 million cash value — for the drawing on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 10:59 p.m. ET. Drawings happen every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The last drawing (Monday, August 31) produced no jackpot winner, so the prize rolled over. A Powerball ticket costs $2, plus $1 each for Power Play or Double Play add-ons.

When Is the Next Powerball Drawing and What Is the Jackpot?

The next Powerball drawing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The advertised jackpot estimate is $146 million annuity, with an estimated cash value of $63.3 million. These are the figures published by the official Powerball site (powerball.com) for the September 2 drawing.

The jackpot grew because nobody matched all six numbers in the Monday, August 31 drawing. That draw produced five white balls 11, 17, 25, 37 and 49 with a red Powerball of 10, and while there was no grand prize winner, there were winners at other prize tiers across the country. The prize now rolls to Wednesday.

Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. The estimated jackpot can change as ticket sales are counted, so the figure published closest to the draw is the most accurate one.

What Are the Winning Numbers From the Last Powerball Drawing?

The Monday, August 31, 2026 Powerball drawing produced these winning numbers: 11, 17, 25, 37, 49 for the five white balls and 10 for the red Powerball. The Power Play multiplier for that drawing was 2x.

There was no jackpot winner in the August 31 drawing. The Powerball.com winners report for that date lists no jackpot winners and no $2 million Match 5 + Power Play winners, but there were $1 million Match 5 winners in New York and the UK — the first time the UK appeared in the results after ticket sales expanded there on July 21, 2026.

When there is no jackpot winner, the prize rolls over to the next drawing. This is the mechanism that grows Powerball jackpots from smaller amounts into nine-figure prizes over several weeks of rollovers. The current run began after a jackpot was won in August and has been climbing since.

How Do You Play Powerball?

Powerball costs $2 per play. You choose five numbers between 1 and 69 for the white balls, and one number between 1 and 26 for the red Powerball. You can pick your numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal generate them randomly (a Quick Pick).

The jackpot is won by matching all five white balls in any order plus the red Powerball. There are nine ways to win in total, ranging from the jackpot down to matching just the Powerball alone, which pays $4. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338, while the odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 24.9.

Two optional add-ons are available for $1 each. Power Play multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x — the Match 5 + Power Play prize is always $2 million, and the 10x multiplier only appears when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less. Double Play gives your numbers a second chance in a separate drawing with a top cash prize of $10 million, held in participating states.

What Is the Difference Between the Annuity and Cash Value?

The advertised $146 million is the annuity amount — the total you would receive as 30 graduated payments over 29 years if you chose that option. The cash value, about $63.3 million, is the estimated lump sum you would receive immediately if you chose the cash option. Both figures are before federal and jurisdictional taxes.

Jackpot winners choose between the two payment methods at claim time. The annuity provides a guaranteed income stream over three decades and is often attractive to winners who want protection from spending their winnings quickly. The cash option gives a single large payment, which many winners invest.

The cash value is calculated based on current interest rates and how much money is actually in the jackpot pool at the time of the drawing. Because it depends on ticket sales, the cash value figure is an estimate until the drawing happens, which is why both numbers are labeled as estimates.

Both advertised figures are pre-tax. Federal withholding and state tax rates reduce the amount you actually receive, which is why financial planners encourage winners to consult tax professionals before choosing between annuity and cash.

Where Can You Buy Powerball Tickets?

Powerball is sold in 45 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Beginning July 21, 2026, Powerball ticket sales also expanded to the United Kingdom — the first international expansion in the game's history, and the reason UK winners appeared in the August 31 results.

You buy tickets at licensed lottery retailers in participating jurisdictions, and increasingly through state-authorized online platforms and lottery courier services. The sales cutoff time varies by state and typically falls one to two hours before the 10:59 p.m. ET drawing, so tickets must be purchased before each jurisdiction's specific cutoff.

Online lottery couriers may close their order deadlines even earlier because they need time to process payment and secure a physical ticket where required. If you use a courier, use the deadline shown inside the app and verify that the service is licensed in your location.

For international and out-of-state buyers, the practical advice is to use only state-licensed channels. Powerball does not sell tickets directly, and unlicensed resellers carry real risks. The official site and state lottery pages are the safe reference for where and how to buy.

How Does the Jackpot Rollover Work?

When no ticket matches all six numbers, the jackpot rolls over to the next drawing, adding the accumulated prize pool. This is how a $20 million starting jackpot can grow to $146 million and beyond over successive rollovers. The growth accelerates as bigger jackpots draw more ticket sales.

In 2026, the Powerball jackpot reached a $1.0 billion level in the August 12 drawing, capping a rollover run that climbed through $748 million, $786 million, $856 million, $905 million and finally $1.0 billion on August 12. After that jackpot was won, the prize reset to roughly $20 million and has been climbing again toward the current $146 million.

Powerball caps the jackpot growth through its advertised-amount structure, and the prize increases are funded by ticket sales from the previous drawing. The mechanism is designed to keep jackpots from growing indefinitely without a winner.

For players, a rollover means the prize at stake in the next drawing is larger. For the current September 2 drawing, the $146 million figure reflects roughly a month of rollovers since the last jackpot was claimed.

What Are the Odds of Winning Powerball?

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338. To put that in context, you are thousands of times more likely to be struck by lightning in your lifetime than to match all six numbers on a single ticket. The odds of winning any Powerball prize at all are much better — about 1 in 24.9.

The nine prize tiers range from the jackpot down to matching just the red Powerball, which pays $4. Matching three white balls pays $7, four white balls $100, and four white balls plus the Powerball pays $50,000. The intermediate tiers are what most players actually win.

Power Play multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2x to 10x, and the 10x multiplier is only available when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less — which is the case for the current $146 million jackpot, meaning the 10x is in play for this drawing.

Understanding the odds matters for realistic expectations: the lottery is entertainment, and the jackpot is the headline, but the math says most players will not win. Playing within a budget and treating tickets as entertainment is the sensible approach.

How Much Tax Do You Pay on a Powerball Jackpot?

Both the annuity and cash values are advertised before taxes. The federal government withholds 24% of lottery winnings immediately, and because the prize is large enough to reach the top federal bracket, the effective federal rate can be higher when you file your taxes.

State taxes vary widely: some states, including Florida and Texas, do not tax lottery winnings at all, while others withhold at rates up to about 8%. Where you buy the ticket and where you live both affect your tax situation, and multi-state rules can be complex for large prizes.

For a $146 million annuity or $63.3 million cash jackpot, the practical take-home after federal withholding and state taxes is substantially less than the headline number. Financial planners recommend assembling a professional team — a lawyer, a tax advisor and an investment professional — before claiming.

The safest approach for winners: sign the ticket immediately, keep it private, and verify with the state lottery before claiming. Large lottery wins carry real financial and personal security considerations that go far beyond the tax calculation.

What Are the Biggest Powerball Jackpots in History?

Powerball has produced some of the largest lottery jackpots in world history. The all-time record was the $2.04 billion jackpot won in November 2022, the largest lottery prize ever awarded in the United States. The $1.765 billion jackpot won in California in October 2023 was the second-largest.

In 2026 alone, the jackpot reached $1.0 billion in the August 12 drawing, capping a sustained rollover run through the summer. That run passed through $856 million (August 8), $905 million (August 10) and finally the billion-dollar mark before being won.

These record jackpots are driven by the same rollover mechanism at work now: when no one wins, the prize grows, ticket sales surge, and the headline number climbs into nine and ten figures. The current $146 million is modest by historical standards but still a life-changing prize.

For context, the jackpot that reset after the August 12 billion-dollar win started around $20 million, which means the current run has already multiplied the prize several times over through rollovers.

How Can You Check If You Won?

After each drawing, the winning numbers are published on powerball.com, the state lottery sites and licensed news sources. The official site lists the winning numbers, the jackpot result and the full winners report by prize tier.

The most reliable way to check a ticket is the official check-your-numbers tool on powerball.com, which matches your entered numbers against the official result for the specific draw date. State lottery apps offer the same verification against their official records.

If you match a prize tier, sign the back of the ticket immediately, keep it in a safe place and contact the state lottery in the jurisdiction where you bought it. Smaller prizes can typically be claimed at retailers or online; jackpot wins require a formal claim through the state lottery.

Beware of unofficial 'checker' sites that ask for personal information. The official channels never request your SSN or payment to verify a win. When in doubt, use the state lottery or powerball.com directly.

What Happened in the August 2026 Jackpot Run?

The August 2026 Powerball run was one of the most dramatic of the year. The jackpot climbed through July and early August, passing $748 million on August 3, $786 million on August 5, $856 million on August 8 and $905 million on August 10 before finally hitting $1.0 billion in the August 12 drawing.

The August 12 drawing produced a jackpot winner, ending the run. After that win, the jackpot reset to roughly $20 million and the current rollover cycle began, climbing through the rest of August to reach the current $146 million estimate for September 2.

The UK market entered the game on July 21, 2026, and UK winners appeared in the results during the run — including $1 million Match 5 winners in the August 31 drawing. The international expansion adds ticket sales to the pool, which supports jackpot growth.

These runs show the characteristic Powerball pattern: long quiet periods where the jackpot slowly climbs, followed by a surge of interest — and ticket sales — as the prize approaches the billion-dollar mark.

Common Mistakes Players Make (and How to Avoid Them)

The most common mistake is buying a ticket after your state's cutoff and assuming it counts for the current drawing. A ticket printed after the cutoff applies to the next drawing. Always confirm the draw date printed on the ticket, especially when buying close to deadline.

A second mistake is misreading the advertised jackpot as the amount you would personally receive. The $146 million is the annuity total; the cash value is about $63.3 million, and taxes reduce either amount further. Planning around the headline number leads to bad expectations.

A third mistake is sharing your winning ticket or announcing a win on social media before claiming. Signing the ticket and keeping it private protects your prize. Large wins attract fraud attempts, so discretion is a genuine security measure.

Finally, treating the lottery as an investment is a mistake. The odds are against every player on every ticket. Setting a fixed entertainment budget — and never chasing losses as a jackpot grows — is the difference between a harmless hobby and a financial problem.

Where to Verify Official Powerball Information

The authoritative source for all Powerball information is the official site powerball.com, which publishes the winning numbers, the next drawing date, the jackpot and cash-value estimates, the full prize structure and the winners reports. State lottery websites are the authority for sales cutoffs, claiming procedures and local rules.

For historical results, the official archive and licensed result sites publish the complete annual ledger of drawings, including the 2026 run that produced the billion-dollar jackpot. Powerball.com also publishes the 9 ways to win and the official odds.

Powerball is operated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) on behalf of the participating jurisdictions. Information published on powerball.com reflects the official numbers, while independent result sites should be treated as secondary references for confirmation.

This guide compiles the verified facts for the September 2, 2026 drawing as of the publication date. If the jackpot is won, the numbers and next drawing will update; if it rolls over again, the estimate for the following drawing will be higher.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Playing the September 2 Drawing

If you want to play the September 2, 2026 Powerball drawing, the process is straightforward. First, confirm your state sells Powerball and check its sales cutoff time — most states stop sales one to two hours before the 10:59 p.m. ET draw. Second, decide your budget and treat it as entertainment.

Third, pick your numbers: five white balls from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball from 1 to 26. You can choose meaningful numbers or let the terminal generate a Quick Pick — the odds are identical either way. Fourth, decide whether to add Power Play ($1) for multiplied non-jackpot prizes or Double Play ($1) for a second chance in a separate drawing.

Fifth, keep the ticket in a safe place and check the numbers after the draw at 10:59 p.m. ET. Use the official powerball.com checker or your state lottery app. If you match any of the nine prize tiers, sign the ticket, and follow the claim process for the jurisdiction where you bought it.

For this drawing specifically, the 10x Power Play multiplier is in play because the advertised jackpot is $146 million — under the $150 million threshold. That means non-jackpot prizes can be multiplied up to 10x, making the add-on more attractive than it is on larger jackpots.

Understanding the Double Play Add-On

Double Play is a $1 add-on that gives your numbers a second chance in a separate drawing held immediately after each Powerball drawing. It offers a top cash prize of $10 million plus eight additional cash prize tiers, using the same numbers you played in the main drawing.

Double Play is available in participating jurisdictions, so not every state offers it. The separate drawing has its own prize pool and its own set of winning numbers, drawn independently from the main Powerball result.

For players who want the most chances for their money, Power Play and Double Play serve different purposes: Power Play multiplies your existing non-jackpot wins, while Double Play gives you a second independent chance at a prize. Many players add both for $4 total per line.

The $10 million Double Play top prize is significant on its own — and unlike the main jackpot, it does not roll over, so there is a winner in every Double Play drawing. That makes it a more predictable, if smaller, prize.

Powerball Myths and Misconceptions, Clarified

One of the most persistent myths is that buying more tickets meaningfully improves your odds. It does not: each ticket is an independent event with 1 in 292,201,338 jackpot odds, so buying 10 tickets gives you 10 chances, not a 10% chance. Buying 100 tickets moves the needle from 0.00000034% to 0.000034% — still effectively zero.

Another myth is that the advertised jackpot is what a winner receives. The $146 million is the annuity total; the cash option is $63.3 million, and both are reduced by federal and state taxes. A winner's actual take-home is typically less than half the headline number.

A third misconception is that some numbers are 'luckier' than others. Powerball drawings use random number generators or ball machines, so every combination has identical odds. Numbers that have appeared frequently in the past have no bearing on future drawings — this is the gambler's fallacy.

Finally, there is no strategy that can beat the house on the lottery long term. The lottery is designed so that the payout across all players is less than the money taken in. Playing for fun with a fixed budget is fine; playing as a financial plan is a mistake.

Powerball in Context: How It Fits With Other US Lotteries

Powerball is one of two national US lottery games, alongside Mega Millions. Both use the same general structure — five white balls plus a bonus ball — and both are played across most of the country, with jackpots that roll over until won.

The two games alternate drawing schedules (Powerball: Mon/Wed/Sat; Mega Millions: Tue/Fri), which gives players nearly nightly chances at a national jackpot. Their jackpots have repeatedly crossed into nine figures, and both have produced billion-dollar winners.

State lotteries also operate smaller games — scratch-offs, daily numbers and state pick games — which have much better odds but much smaller prizes. Powerball's appeal is the size of its headline jackpot, even at the cost of odds that are essentially unbeatable.

Understanding the landscape helps players choose: if you want a realistic (if small) chance of a modest win, state games are the better odds; if you want the chance at a life-changing jackpot, Powerball and Mega Millions are the draw — with the understanding that the odds are long.

Frequently Asked Questions