Millions of Aussies are gearing up for the massive $200 million Powerball jackpot to be drawn on Thursday evening, with around 50 per cent of the country’s adults expected to buy a ticket.
The multi-million dollar prize – the largest lottery prize offered in Australian history – will be life-changing for one lucky winner when the winning numbers are drawn and announced after entries close at 7.30pm.
While the odds of winning the huge jackpot in tonight’s drawing are extremely slim (more than 134 million to one), there are some numbers players should consider, and others they should avoid, to increase their chances of winning .
Daily Mail Australia has put together a list of four essential things you need to know ahead of tonight’s big draw.
About 50 percent of Australia’s adult population will play in the massive $200 million Powerball jackpot drawn on Thursday evening
When is Powerball drawn?
The winning Powerball numbers will be drawn at 8:30 PM Australian Standard Time and at 9:30 PM for states and territories on daylight saving time.
Players and viewers can watch the drawn numbers live on Channel 7 or Channel 7TWO.
The winning seven numbers are selected from a pool of 35 balls each numbered from 1 to 35.
The Powerball number is chosen from a group of 20 balls, numbered 1 to 20.
To win the Division 1 prize, players must correctly guess each of the winning seven numbers and also choose the Powerball number.
Lott spokesman James Eddy said many Aussies will be scrambling to get their tickets online in the run-up to the draw.
“We expect a rush online and in-store ahead of the record-breaking $200 million Powerball drawing,” he said.
‘Given the expectation of the record-breaking [prize]Our advice to players is to get there early to avoid missing the opportunity to change your life.”
The odds of winning the huge jackpot in tonight’s draw are extremely slim: more than 134 million to one (stock image)
Winning Powerball numbers will be drawn at 8:30 PM Australian Standard Time and 9:30 PM for states and territories observing daylight saving time (news agency stock photo mage)
What happens if no one wins Powerball?
If no one manages to win the Division 1 prize, the prize pool will be jackpotted for the next Powerball drawing.
Players who win the top prize will typically have to wait about two weeks before receiving their winnings, according to The Lott.
The prizes will be paid out directly to the online account of the player who wins the prize.
The Lott spreads the prize money to other lottery games if no one claims the prize money, or if the money goes to the state government, but these rules vary by state and territory.
One lucky player (stock photo) could get the chance to become a multi-millionaire tonight
What are the chances of winning Powerball?
The odds of winning the Division 1 prize are one in 134 million.
There is a higher chance of being struck by lightning (1 in 12,000) and hit by an asteroid (1 in 1.6 million) than winning the $250 million.
Head of statistics at the University of NSW, Professor Jake Oliver, said the Players are more likely to share the prize money than one person will claim the windfall in full.
There were no winners in last week’s $150 million Powerball drawing, but there were 20 Division I Powerball entries in 2023, with players winning a total of more than $550 million in prize money.
Among the winners was a father from Bankstown in Sydney’s west, who scored a $100 million jackpot, becoming the second biggest Australian lottery winner in history.
The odds of winning the top prize in tonight’s draw are one in 134 million
What are some of the luckiest Powerball numbers?
A recent Lotterywest analysis found that numbers 5, 19, 21 and 47 were winning numbers that were more likely to be drawn, compared to numbers 26, 15, 25, 2, which were less likely to be drawn.
However, Professor John Croucher from Macquarie University Business School said all numbers have an equal chance of being chosen.
Professor Croucher said there is a good chance any number could be chosen in the draw, even though some are considered luckier than others.
There are a few numbers that players are not allowed to select in an attempt to pick the winning ticket.
Certain numbers, such as birthdays and dial numbers that appear in series (e.g. odd and even), should be avoided as they result in more shared prizes, Professor Croucher said.
Powerball players are urged not to pick certain numbers, such as birthdays, to give themselves a better chance of winning the top prize (stock image)