By Kate Northrop
This morning, lottery officials announced that the multi-state Powerball lottery game will increase the number of nightly drawings from two to three times a week starting August 2021.
Players will have another shot at that big jackpot prize now that a new Monday drawing is added to the weekly draw schedule.
In addition to the drawings held on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 10:59 EST, Powerball will conduct a drawing on Monday nights at the same time.
"Our players really enjoy Powerball, and we are pleased to offer them the option of a third weekly drawing," Mississippi Lottery Corporation (MLC) President Tom Shaheen stated in a press release by the Mississippi Lottery this morning. "By having an additional draw-night, there is a greater opportunity for faster growing jackpots and more cash winnings."
The first-ever Powerball Monday night drawing will take place on Aug. 23, 2021. Players will be able to pick up tickets for the first Monday drawing starting Sun., Aug. 22, 2021.
Odds, rules, or set cash prizes will not change with the addition of another drawing, and the ticket price remains $2.
Now going to wait and see if Mega Millions will offer sales on Sundays??? If so, that just leaves Thursday untouched! LOL!
Just a thought came to me, how nice it would be if they'd return to starting @ $40 million and old incremental increases. This retired Respiratory Therapist won't hold his breath for that to happen!
Watch - in 10 years both will be a daily game with mid and eve draws.
Yet another way for the greedy state and national lottery operators to entice players to lose more money. This is like how Cash 4 Life went from twice a week to daily drawings and how Pa Match 6 did the same. And notice all the add-ons to lottery games that effectively double the price of the bet like the Pick 3 and Pick 4 fireball option or the Powerball and Megaball multiplier option. All these options which are billed as giving players more ways to win, which is true, but these costly options also means players bet more money for the CHANCE to win and as we all know most times we lose. Of course, no one makes us gamble but we gamblers must see these so-called new options for what they are: CASH GRABS.
I'm not sure I understand your concern about the Pick 3 and Pick 4 add-ons. Nobody is forcing you to buy them, just like you don't have to buy the Power Play and Megaplier features. People buy them if they want them. More choice seems like a great thing to me.
In PA, the daily Match 6 drawings are great also. It's nice to be able to buy a ticket and then find out if you're a winner that evening.
I have no idea how I'll feel about the extra Powerball drawing, but my guess is that it will be fine.
Extra monday draws 2021
international play 2022
How many years until they change the matrix?
Thanks, Todd. I pointed out no one is forcing us to gamble or to play the options but wanted to put out there that the options also benefit the bottom line of the lottery operators and can farther entice problem gamblers.
More choices are usually better.
However, if I don't play my numbers on Monday's draw they will for sure hit without me!
It should go back to $1 and $1 x. Maybe a system I started working on will get me more money in.
I'm more concerned as to whether they will lower the starting jackpot. They said just about everything else, but that.
In a way you like Todd- always "working on something," but the comparison ends there.
I don't think they will go lower past $20 million - that would be ultra lame.
*knocks on wood*
I'm pretty sure they added another drawing because millions of $2 tickets are sold for the two weekly drawings they have now. Your request is similar to raising the starting annuitized jackpot as if it's easier to win the drawing after a jackpot is hit.
Funny-- they should now increase the starting pot!
Nice news, good reason to stick with favorite numbers!
Good luck everyone.