CLIVE, Iowa — A popular new option is being added to the Powerball® game in Iowa that will give players the chance to play – and win – with the same set of numbers in two drawings rather than just one.
On Nov. 5, the Double Play® option will be available in Powerball in Iowa. For an extra $1 per play, players can add Double Play to their tickets. (A Powerball play costs $2, and with the Double Play option added, a ticket would cost $3.) The numbers on that ticket are then eligible to win twice – once in the regular Powerball drawing, and once in a separate Double Play drawing with a top cash prize of $10 million.
It’s possible for a player to win a prize in the regular Powerball drawing and the Double Play drawing on the same night.
Of the 48 lotteries that sell Powerball, 18 currently offer Double Play. Iowa will be the 19th to add it, and the move comes after requests from players in the state who said they want the chance to be part of the Double Play drawings.
Here is how it works: For players who have added Double Play to their tickets, the same numbers on their ticket are used for the Powerball drawing and the Double Play drawing.
Double Play has the same odds of winning as Powerball. But while Powerball has a rolling jackpot, Double Play has a set top cash prize of $10 million.
In both drawings, five winning numbers are selected from the main pool of 1-69 (in Powerball, the drawing balls for those numbers are white; in Double Play, they are black), and one red Powerball number is selected from a pool of 1-26.
To win the top prize in either drawing, a ticket must match all six winning numbers. But there are eight other ways to win in each drawing, starting with a prize for matching just the Powerball alone.
The Double Play drawing is held after every Powerball drawing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. When the option goes live in Iowa, the Iowa Lottery will report the winning numbers for the Powerball and Double Play drawing on those nights. The first Double Play drawing that includes Iowa will be on Nov. 6.
The Power Play® option will continue to be offered in the game and will remain unchanged with the addition of Double Play. Players can continue to add the Power Play option to their tickets for an additional $1 per play.
Players can add both the Power Play and Double Play options on their tickets, in which case, a Powerball play would cost $4. While Power Play multiplies Powerball winnings at all prize levels except the jackpot, it does not apply to Double Play winnings.
Since getting its start in April 1992 in 15 states with jackpots that started at a guaranteed $2 million, Powerball has grown into one of the world’s biggest and most recognizable lottery games. The game has seen several updates and added new features through the years, the latest of which is Double Play.
