LOTTERY
In which states can Powerball jackpot winners collect anonymously?
The Powerball has another draw on Monday night with nearly $800 million up for grabs. Not every winner will want to boast about a success.
Legislation in 18 different states allows lottery winners to receive their money without disclosing their identities, potentially leaving us in the dark regarding the lucky recipient of the staggering $785 million Powerball jackpot.
These are the states where victorious lottery players can discreetly claim their winnings.
- Arizona: prize must be over $100,000
- Delaware: any prize
- Georgia: prize must be over $250,000
- Illinois: prize must be over $250,000
- Kansas: any priz
- Maryland: any prize
- Michigan: prize must be over $10,000
- Minnesota: prize must be over $10,000
- Mississippi: any prize
- Missouri: any prize
- Montana: any prize
- New Jersey: any prize
- North Dakota: any prize
- South Carolina: any prize
- Texas: prize must be over $1 million
- Virginia: prize must be greater than $10 million
- West Virginia: prize must be over $1 million
- Wyoming: any prize
How to play Powerball
Powerball costs $2 per ticket, and is available in every US state except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. You can also take part in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
To play, you must choose five numbers between 1 and 69, and an additional ‘Powerball’ number between 1 and 26. To secure the jackpot, all six of your selected numbers must match those that are drawn. The top prize grows after each draw until it is won.
Jackpot winners can choose to receive their money in 30 installments over 29 years (the annuity option), or as a lump sum (the cash option). If you opt to be paid up front, you get a lower amount, which is approximately half of the original jackpot. Winnings are pre-tax amounts.
Smaller prizes are also available if you correctly guess some, but not all, of the winning numbers.
What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
According to Lottery USA, a single ticket has a one in 292,201,338 chance of matching five numbers and the Powerball. Your odds of getting five numbers without the Powerball are 11,688,053.52 to one.
For those seeking support for a gambling addiction, the national gambling hotline is staffed 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER.