The drawing for this year's largest Powerball jackpot happens Saturday night.
At an estimated $856 million, the jackpot is also the eighth-largest in Powerball history. The jackpot has grown over the past three months – the last Powerball jackpot won was on May 2 and valued at $20 million.
The drawing is scheduled for 10:59 p.m. ET on Saturday. If you want to buy a ticket, however, it's best to not wait until the last minute, as most participating states stop selling Powerball tickets one to two hours before the drawing, and cutoff times vary by location.
If someone does win the jackpot, they’ll have two options: take home a one-time, lump-sum cash payment of $370.7 million, or get an immediate payment followed by annual checks, each 5% larger
than the previous year.
Lottery officials expect an influx of ticket buyers for the Aug. 8 drawing.
“Entering the top 10 largest Powerball jackpots is when we historically see a lot of players join in the game,” said Stephen Durrell, Powerball product group chair and Kansas Lottery executive director, in a news release. “As the jackpot continues to soar, Powerball players across the country and even across the pond are watching closely to see how this historic jackpot run unfolds.”
Powerball jackpots are expected to grow more quickly because the lottery expanded to the United Kingdom recently. That expanded player base should lead to bigger jackpots more quickly, lottery officials said.
When is the Powerball drawing?
The next Powerball drawing will take place on Saturday, Aug. 8, at about 10:59 p.m. ET. The drawing can be watched live on Powerball's website, and players can rewatch clips on its YouTube channel.
When is the Powerball ticket cutoff in your state?
If you're planning to play for the $856 million jackpot, double-check your state's purchase deadline before heading to a retailer. In many states, sales end around 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time, though some close earlier.
How to play Powerball
Powerball tickets are $2 per play and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can buy them at a variety of locations, including local convenience stores, gas stations, or even grocery stores.
In some states, Powerball tickets can be bought online depending on local jurisdiction.
Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls numbered 1 to 69. The red Powerball ranges from 1 to 26.
People can also add a "Power Play" for $1, which increases the winnings for all non-jackpot prizes. The "Power Play" multiplier can multiply winnings by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X.
If you want the computer to select the numbers, the "Quick Pick" option is also available. To win the jackpot, players must match all five white balls in any order and the red Powerball.
Powerball drawings are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights. If no one wins the jackpot, the cash prize will keep ticking up.
Largest Powerball jackpots ever won
- $2.040 billion on Nov. 7, 2022, in California
- $1.817 billion on Dec. 24, 2025, in Arkansas
- $1.787 billion on Sept. 6, 2025, in Missouri and Texas
- $1.765 billion on Oct. 11, 2023, in California
- $1.586 billion on Jan. 13, 2016, in California, Florida, and Tennessee
- $1.326 billion on April 6, 2024, in Oregon
- $1.080 billion on July 19, 2023, in California
- $856 million on Aug. 8, 2026 - winner TBD
- $842.4 million on Jan. 1, 2024, in Michigan
- $768.4 million on March 27, 2019, in Wisconsin
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes, Julia Gomez and Jonathan Limehouse
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saturday's Powerball drawing is for largest jackpot of 2026
