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Powerball (Australia)
Encyclopedia
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
operated by New South Wales Lotteries in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, Tattersalls
Tattersalls
Tattersalls is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall , who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. The first premises occupied were near Hyde Park Corner, in what was then the outskirts of London...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Golden Casket
Golden Casket
Golden Casket is the public limited lottery corporation in Queensland trading on ASX, Australia. It sells lottery tickets and Instant Scratch-Its tickets through newsagents and other convenience stores. Lottery draws are televised on Channel Seven four nights a week.Golden Casket makes a net...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, South Australia Lotteries Commission for South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and Lotterywest
Lotterywest
Lotterywest, formerly the Lotteries Commission of Western Australia, is an Australian lotteries corporation run by the State Government of Western Australia. Lotterywest sells lottery tickets and "instant win" scratchcards through a network of newsagents and other authorised retailers...
in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Australian Powerball is similar to Powerball
Powerball
Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
operated in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Five regular numbers are picked from one pool of 45, with the Powerball drawn from a separate pool of 45 numbers. The jackpot
Progressive jackpot
A progressive jackpot is a jackpot for a gaming machine where the value of the jackpot increases a small amount for every game played...
typically maxes out at A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
33 million, with usually only one first division winner. However, there are major differences between the US and Australian versions; in the US, a ticket automatically wins by matching the Powerball (the US game has only 39 possible Powerballs) while in Australia three numbers are needed (three of the five regular numbers, or two plus the Powerball.) The US jackpot is annuitized (with a cash option) while Australians always collect in lump sum. Finally, US lottery prizes are taxable, whilst there are no taxes collected on Australian Powerball winners.
Still another difference is that all Australian Powerball prizes are parimutuel, versus fixed prizes on a US$1 wager in the states (e.g. US$3 for matching Powerball only; US$4 for 1+PB, etc.) on non-jackpot prizes.
The host of Powerball is Troy Ellis, with the draw broadcast on television when the Division 1 jackpot is over $15 Million.
Records
On 1 March 2007, the Jackpot (Division 1) was $33 million, the highest ever prize given out in a drawing.On 5 June 2008, the Jackpot (Division 1) was $58,737,207.41, the highest ever prize jackpot in Australian history at the time, (since passed by Oz Lotto with a $90 million Jackpot on 30 June 2009).
On 30 July 2009, the Jackpot (Division 1) was $80 million, the highest Powerball prize in history.
Odds
| Division | What you need in a single game panel | Odds based on 12 games |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 Numbers plus Powerball | 4,581,596:1 |
| 2 | 5 Numbers | 104,127:1 |
| 3 | 4 Numbers plus Powerball | 22,908:1 |
| 4 | 3 Numbers plus Powerball | 587:1 |
| 5 | 4 Numbers | 521:1 |
| 6 | 2 Numbers plus Powerball | 46:1 |
| 7 | 3 Numbers | 13:1 |