Powerball is an American lottery game sold by 45 lotteries as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with various U.S. lotteries. Since the format change on January 15, 2012, Powerball's minimum advertised jackpot is $40 million (annuity) with a potential of nine-figure prizes. There is no maximum jackpot for the Powerball, it will rollover until all the numbers are matched. The biggest Powerball jackpot to date was $590,500,000 won in May 2013 by one winning ticket in Florida, making it the 3rd biggest ever lotto win of all time among all lotteries world wide. Its annuity option is paid in 30 graduated installments; winners may choose a cash payment instead. Powerball drawings are held on Wednesday and Saturday evenings at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The game uses a 5/59 (white balls) + 1/35 (Powerballs) matrix from which winning numbers are chosen. Each play costs $2, or, with the Power Play option, $3 (prior to January 15, 2012, games cost $1 each, or $2 with Power Play; the latter option was added in 2001). The official cutoff time for ticket sales is 10 p.m. Eastern Time; some lotteries discontinue sales at earlier times. The drawings usually are held at the Florida Lottery’s studio in Tallahassee.
On November 29, 2012, one day after the drawing for the largest Powerball jackpot, the California Lottery Commission voted to join Powerball. California joined the game on April 8, 2013.
On May 18, 2013, the largest jackpot in the game's history, and the largest prize ever on one ticket, approximately $590,500,000 (annuity), was won. On June 5, Florida Lottery officials announced the winner, Gloria C. MacKenzie, age 84, who purchased the "quick pick" ticket at a Publix supermarket in Zephyrhills, Florida. MacKenzie opted to take the cash option, which was approximately $370,800,000 before Federal withholding (Florida does not have a state income tax).
