Everything You Need to Know about Powerball Divisions

Powerball is Australia’s biggest official lottery. Every week, hundreds of thousands of Aussies try their luck, hoping to walk away with an incredible win. But with so many different lottery games available these days, it’s hard to know the ins and outs of each one.

All are unique in their own way, especially when it comes to odds and the divisions. In this article, we will take you through everything there is to know about the divisions and how to play Powerball.

The Powerball Prize Pool: How Much Money Are We Talking?

Let’s kick things off with the prize pool. Powerball starts at a solid $5 million. However, the prize pool doesn’t just stop there! It keeps rolling over until someone wins. This means the jackpot can grow to jaw-dropping amounts, think $150 million! (Yes, you read that right.) Imagine all the possibilities: an island getaway or, hey, maybe even your very own private island. We’re not judging.

How Do Powerball Divisions Work?

Each Powerball Division represents a different level of winning, based on how many numbers you match and has its own set of rules. The more numbers you match (especially the Powerball), the higher the division win, and the bigger the payout. 

So, How Do You Win Powerball?

In Powerball, you pick 7 main numbers (from 1 to 35) plus a special Powerball number (from 1 to 20). Lottery games have a range of prizes available to be won, which are called “prize divisions”. To reach the highest type of win , Division 1 (or as they say, to ‘hit the jackpot’) , you’ll need to match all 7 main numbers and the Powerball in a single game panel.

But wait, here’s the good news:  You can win with only 2 winning numbers plus the Powerball number in a single game, that would be a Division 9 win. Here’s how it breaks down. Spoiler: you don’t need all 7 numbers to score a win! Although the odds may look tough, people win every week, and you know what they say, you gotta be in it to win it!. 

What are the prize divisions in Powerball?

Division	Powerball winning combination	Odds
Division 1	7 winning numbers + the Powerball	1:134,490,400
Division 2	7 winning numbers	1:7,078,443
Division 3	6 winning numbers + the Powerball	1:686,176
Division 4	6 winning numbers	1:36,115
Division 5	5 winning numbers + the Powerball	1:16,943
Division 6	4 winning numbers + the Powerball	1:1,173
Division 7	5 winning numbers	1:892
Division 8	3 winning numbers + the Powerball	1:188
Division 9	2 winning numbers + the Powerball	1:66

Why Do Some Divisions Pay More Than Others?

To put it simply, probability. Winning Division 9 (which only requires 2 main numbers plus the Powerball) is way more likely than winning Division 7 (requiring 5 main numbers), so the prize pool gets split accordingly. More winners = smaller slices of the pie.

Even Division 1 winners sometimes have to share their spoils. In September 2019, the record-breaking $150 million jackpot was split three ways—meaning three very happy people walked away with $50 million each! 

How Will You Know If You’ve Won?

Ah, the million-dollar question. Literally! Entry into Powerball through Oz Lotteries closes each Thursday evening at 7:27pm AEST, and the draw happens shortly after. If you want to witness the magic in real-time, you can watch it live on 7TWO. But don’t sweat it if you miss the live draw, Oz Lotteries will shoot you an email with the results straight to your inbox. If you are lucky enough to win a Division 1 or Division 2 prize expect a call from Oz Lotteries, we love to congratulate as many of our winners as we can!

How to Collect Your Powerball Winnings?

If you win via Oz Lotteries, your winnings will be credited to your Oz Lotteries account the very next morning, ready for you to withdraw straight to your bank or PayPal account. For larger division wins, the process for claiming your prize may vary depending on the jurisdiction you reside in. This is to ensure we meet all necessary requirements and obligations associated with high-value prize payouts. Rest assured, if you're lucky enough to land a big win, our team will guide you through the next steps to make sure your prize reaches you as smoothly and as quickly as possible.

Ready to Play Powerball?

Here’s the most important part: you can’t win if you don’t play. But you knew that didn’t you. So grab your ticket before 7:27 PM AEST on Thursday and cross your fingers. Who knows? You might just become Australia’s next multimillionaire. 🎉