How to Play Powerball in South Africa

How to Play Powerball

Powerball in simple terms, can be said to be a lottery game involving drums, holding numbered balls. When the numbered balls are picked, they are assembled to identify a winner whose lottery ticket matches the numbers picked. 

Where to play Powerball

Powerball can be played online, offline, or at retail stores. Engaging in lottery gambling has transformed with the advancement of technology, with people currently using their smartphones and devices to play the game. On the other hand, Powerball can be played offline, where the player visits the retail store to purchase a lottery Powerball ticket.

The Ithuba National Lottery has an online presence for players wishing to play virtually and physical retail stores for players wishing to play offline. 

When to play Powerball

The Powerball draws take place on Tuesdays and Fridays at 9.00 PM, with jackpots having the potential of exceeding R100,000,000.

Tickets are available for purchase every day. However, the ticket sales close 30 minutes before the draw begins and reopens after the draw ends for the next game. This means that people can only play 30 minutes before every draw, whether online or offline. 

Registration for Powerball in South Africa

When registering for Powerball South Africa, many people would prefer playing online because most people are technology-literate and own a smartphone and other devices. To register online, follow the following simple procedures:

1. Download the ABSA Banking App on your smartphone. The App can be found on the Google Playstore or the App Store. 
2. Use the available prompts to register your profile and log in to your account.
3. Select the Lotto or PowerBall option available in the menu on the home screen.
4. Select the preferred game you wish to play. 

Alternatively, interested players can use the following options to register for the Powerball in South Africa. 

Winning probability

Matched numbers - Share of the prize pool - Odds ticketsning

• 5 correct + PB - 54.46% - 1 in 42,375,200
• 5 - 4.00% - 1 in 2,230,274
• 4/5 + PB - 2.50% - 1 in 188,334
• 4/5 - 4.24% - 1 in 9,912
• 3/5 + PB - 4.80% - 1 in 4,280
• 3/5 - 4.00% - 1 in 225
• 2/5 + PB - 3.00% - 1 in 299
• 1/5 + PB - fixed R 15 - 1 in 57
• 0/5 + PB - fixed R 10 - 1 in 35

Different matches have different prizes and different odds of winning. The prizes differ for every draw. They depend on whether the requirements for winning the jackpot were achieved and the number of players who won. It also depends on the amount of tickets sold.

The two payout divisions that are fixed are when a player gets results such as a 0 out of 5 or 1 out of 5 with Powerball. When players match all the numbers, they win the jackpot, as shown in the table. There are instances where this might change as you move down the table. 

All the jackpot prizes are rounded to the nearest R1. Therefore, a player can win once in every entry filled with numbers that match the Powerball drawings. The exact jackpot rollover is identified on the day of the draw. The other payouts are rounded to the nearest 10 cents.

There is a decreasing likelihood of winning when the price is higher as you move up the table. This shows that it is more difficult to win the Powerball jackpot as compared to Lotto, therefore, gamble responsibly.  

How Powerball is Played

Powerball is played online or offline, depending on the player’s preference. The regular Powerball costs R5 to play, whereas Powerball Plus costs an extra R2.50 to play. 

Playing online

1. The first step is for the player to open an online lottery account and deposit money in the account. 
2. The next step is to identify the first board and select five numbers between 1 and 50.
3. After selecting the numbers, the player selects one Powerball number between 1 and 20.
4. The player can repeat this procedure as many times as possible.
5. After selecting the numbers, the player selects the number of draws they want to enter. So, the player can either choose the Tuesday draw or the Friday draw. 
6. After selecting the preferred draw, click “Submit”
7. The player will be directed to checkout. At this stage, the player is supposed to click on the icon “confirm and proceed” to place their bets. 

Playing offline

1. There are various authorized retail stores that a player can visit.
2. After visiting the store, the player purchases a Powerball bet slip. The bet slip can either be the regular one or the “Powerball Plus” one. The player, therefore, buys the ticket of their choice. To identify whether it is a regular ticket or a “Powerball Plus” ticket, the player checks at the top of the slip. 
3. Beginning with board A, the play marks five numbers, similar to the online placement; the only difference is that this one is conducted manually. The numbers range between 1 and 50 in the first grid.
4. The player then proceeds to the second grid and marks one number between 1 and 20. However, the player can speed up the procedure using the “Quick Pick” option. 
5. The player can do this as many times as they wish to play. 
6. Next, the player chooses the number of draws they wish to participate in. They do this by marking one of the boxes at the bet slip’s top. However, this procedure is not necessary when the player opts to enter one draw. 
7. After making all the placements and necessary selections, the player takes the slip to the retail assistant and pays for all the entries. 
8. Lastly, the player writes their name on the back of the receipt provided. 

Numbers Required to Win Powerball

When the Powerball jackpot draw was introduced in South Africa, players were supposed to have five main numbers from 1 to 45. They were also supposed to have one Powerball number from 1 to 20, and this procedure charged an entry fee of R5 for every board placed.

Nowadays, the jackpot extends up to 50, where people can identify their preferred main numbers. The prizes can be won when the main numbers match. However, matching numbers with Powerball numbers results in higher gifts. 

There are no specific amounts of numbers to win. However, there must be two winning numbers drawn from the first two barrels.

Therefore, players must match their selected numbers with the ones drawn in the lottery. This means that the more numbers are matched, the bigger the prize for the player. The player will, therefore, hope to match all the five main numbers to win the jackpot, which is the ultimate prize. 

How to Win Powerball

To win prizes, the player should match the Powerball number. High-ranking matches present the highest payouts. To win the jackpot, the player’s main numbers must match the Powerball. Upon winning, it would take approximately 365 days to obtain the prize. 

There are various tips the player should consider to increase the chances of winning upon participation.

1. Make sure you know what you are doing at all times. The player should be keen to understand the fundamentals of Powerball and what they need to win. 
2. The player can choose the likely winning numbers by typing them in when using the available online platforms. 
3. Players can also analyze the odds of winning and prioritize the options to increase their chances of winning. 
4. Players should examine the frequency charts, as they show predictions of how the draws may turn out. 
5. Players should consider the winning numbers to create their own selection sequences.

Prize payouts

The prizes in Powerball differ, as there are smaller cash prizes and larger cash prizes. The smaller cash prizes can be withdrawn to the player’s bank account using their official online wallet on the nationallottery.co.za. This can be finalized when the player uses the internet to buy tickets and play Powerball. 

Larger cash prizes or jackpots must be claimed at the ITHUBA regional or the head office. The player will obtain their prize money with their winning ticket and the South African ID. It is also important to note that the player must be 18 or older to play and be eligible for the prize money. 

Powerball prizes can be split between two or more players when they both have similar numbers that match correctly. When such a scenario happens, the player winners get the same amount of prize money. 

The Legal Status of Powerball in South Africa

Powerball is legal in South Africa. It operates under the regulative body known as The National Gambling Board. The National Gambling Board oversees responsible gambling within South Africa and ensures that the country exercises responsibility in the gambling industry. 

Powerball is, after that, controlled and managed by ITHUBA, a privately owned organization. The organization was founded by the Zamani Equity Fund. It is registered with the Companies Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). It observes the South African Companies Act of 2008 concerning responsible gambling. 

Eligibility 

• The game must be played by people over the age of 18.
• The tickets are sold by handheld partners, approved retailers, and associated banks within South Africa. 
• To buy online tickets, the player must have an ABSA, Nedbank, Standard Bank or FNB account. Alternatively, the person must have registered with the South African National Lottery website and be a South African resident with a South African ID.