The California Lottery Commission voted on November 29, 2012 to adopt the multi-state mega-jackpot lottery game, POWERBALL. POWERBALL sales will begin in California on April 8, 2013 and the first draw will take place on April 10th.

This vote came the day after POWERBALL's largest jackpot ever, $587.5 million, won by two players (one from Missouri and the other in Arizona).

POWERBALL is expected to add anywhere between $50 to $100 million in additional dollars to supplement public education funding in California.

The $2 POWERBALL game is played much like the $1 MEGA Millions®. Players choose five numbers from 1 to 59 and one red POWERBALL number from 1 to 35. Players can choose their own numbers or opt for a Quick Pick. Draws are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 7:59 p.m. PST.

Unlike MEGA Millions and SuperLotto Plus®, POWERBALL’s pool closure occurs promptly at 7 p.m. PST each draw day. Besides the jackpot, there are eight additional ways to win prizes. The amounts vary due to the State’s pari-mutuel rules. The POWERBALL draws take place in Tallahassee, Florida.

The POWERBALL jackpot begins at $40 million and increases by at least $10 million every roll. In comparision, the MEGA Millions jackpot starts at $12 million.

The odds of winning the POWERBALL jackpot are 1 in 176 million and about 1 in 32 of winning any prize. In comparison, the odds of winning the MEGA Millions jackpot is also 1 in 176 million and about 1 in 40 of winning any prize in the semi-weekly drawing.  So basically the odds are very similar. The main difference is the price of the tickets; $1 for MEGA Millions vs $2 for POWERBALL.

CLICK HERE for information about other CA Lottery games.

The mission of the California Lottery is to provide supplemental funding to California schools while simultaneously supporting local communities. More than 94 cents of every dollar spent by our players goes back to local communities in the form of contributions to public schools and colleges, prizes and retail compensation. Since 2000, Lottery players have contributed $1 billion to public schools each year, and, since we began in 1985, Lottery players have contributed a total of more than $24 billion to education. The California Lottery urges its customers to play responsibly and within their budgets. If you feel you have a gambling problem, or know someone who does, you can get help at 1-800-GAMBLER.

Visit www.calottery.com for more information.