The Powerball jackpot for Saturday’s drawing stood at an estimated $86 million, with a $37.8 million cash option, after the game went without a top prize winner on May 2.
That makes the May 16 draw the latest chance for players across 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to chase a prize that has quickly climbed again after recent wins. On May 2, players in Florida and Texas split a $20 million jackpot, and before that, players in Kansas and Indiana split a $143.4 million prize in the previous drawing.
Powerball drawings are held three times a week — Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Monday drawings were added in 2021. Tickets cost $2, and players can add Power Play for $1. Power Play can multiply non-jackpot prizes by up to five times, except for the jackpot and Match 5, and there is a 10x Power Play possibility when the jackpot is below $150 million.
Each player picks five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball, or can let the machine generate a quick pick with random numbers. Prizes start at $4 for matching the Powerball and rise to $1 million for matching all five white balls, except in California, before reaching the jackpot for matching all six balls.
The sale deadline depends on where the ticket is bought. In New Jersey, tickets must be purchased by 9:59 p.m. on the day of the drawing, while New York’s cutoff is 10 p.m. Tickets are sold in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores, and some airport terminals may also sell them.
The May 16 jackpot follows a stretch of recent churn that has kept the game in view, from the May 2 split between Florida and Texas to the larger $143.4 million prize shared by Kansas and Indiana in the drawing before that. For players, the immediate question is not whether Powerball can produce another winner — it can — but whether Saturday’s numbers will finally clear the $86 million prize and reset the game again.
