Powerball Jackpot is Richest Prize in More Than a Year, Here’s How to Play for Free

Posted on: August 20, 2025, 12:15h. 

Last updated on: August 20, 2025, 01:30h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot is an estimated $643 million
  • An online courier service is offering a free Powerball play to new users
  • The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million

Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing goes down at 10:59 pm ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. If a ticket matches the five white balls and red Powerball, the winner will have the choice of receiving the pretax jackpot of $643 million paid out through 30 allocations, or a one-time cash option of approximately $290.6 million.

Powerball jackpot free lottery ticket
The Powerball jackpot for the Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, drawing is an estimated $643 million. It’s the richest Powerball prize up for grabs since April 6, 2024, when a single ticket sold in Oregon won a more than $1.32 billion prize. That was the fourth-richest Powerball prize in history. (Image: Shutterstock)

The Powerball jackpot has hit four times this year, with the last coming back on May 31 when a lucky player in California won an annuitized prize of $204.5 million. Since then, the interstate lottery game has rolled over 35 times.

The annuitized option is disbursed with one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year.

Since Powerball’s last jackpot was upwards of $1 billion, a $1.32 billion prize won on April 6, 2024, the jackpot has been hit 11 times. The richest prize was $526.5 million, won on March 29, also by a player in California.

Free Powerball Tickets

Online lottery courier Lotto.com, whose primary competitor is DraftKings-backed Jackpocket, is hoping to capitalize on some market share by offering free Powerball plays for Wednesday night’s drawing.

Available in 11 states — Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Oregon — Lotto.com is giving new accounts a free $2 Powerball play with the code “PBJP25.”

The fine print is that new registrations in New York are ineligible for the promo. The promotion is not only for tonight, but for all new account registrations through December 31.

Lotto.com claims to have more than three million users. Lotto.com charges a convenience fee that ranges between 15% to 25%. The online lottery courier doesn’t collect a commission on winnings or charge fees on cashouts.

Lotto.com allows users to purchase Powerball and Mega Millions tickets. The courier also provides for state lottery drawing purchases and scratchers.

Jackpocket is a similar service. Jackpocket’s “Refer A Friend” promotion gives accounts $20 in lottery credits with their friend’s first deposit. Accounts on Jackpocket can also purchase Powerball and Mega Millions plays, along with state lottery drawings and scratch-offs.

Growing Jackpot 

The odds of a ticket matching all six Powerball numbers are 1 in more than 292.2 million. While odds remain the same, the chances of a ticket matching the jackpot presumably increase when jackpots balloon to near-record highs, as more tickets are sold and more of the possible 292.2 million number combinations are covered.

At $643 million, Wednesday night’s Powerball jackpot is approaching the game’s Top 10 Powerball Jackpots list. No. 10 is a $731.1 million prize won in Maryland in January 2021.

The Mega Millions jackpot is at $234 million for Friday’s drawing. Since Mega Millions overhauled its gameplay and increased the basic ticket price from $2 to $5 in April, the game’s top prize has yet to hit $1 billion. Lottery officials say the change has benefited nonjackpot winners and led to players winning significantly more money.