I saw this on the Powerball website today and it's the first I've seen of it. It's a new rule that basically says that the Powerball jackpot can't increase by more than $25 million each draw once it hits record levels, so if the powerball jackpot does that, the extra prize money will go into a poll that will be split by all the 5 white ball winners on the day the jackpot is won.
So, it's like, "CRAP, the record jackpot got won today. I know I won my $200,000, but I chose the wrong Powerball. Oh well, I guess at least I get my $200,000 plus my bonus $XXX,XXX from the extra Match 5 pool."
The exact wording is on the bottom of the Powerball numbers page. Here it is,
Whenever the Powerball jackpot reaches a record level, the amount of the jackpot prize is limited to increases for each draw of no more than $25 million. The prize money collected in excess of the maximum $25 million increase, will be placed into the Match 5 Bonus prize pool and will accumulate until there is a jackpot winner. When there is a jackpot winner, the Match 5 Bonus prize pool will be divided equally among all winners of the Match 5 prize. The prize will be paid in one cash lump sum.
The Match 5 Bonus prize is in addition to any Power Play prizes that may be won. The Match 5 Bonus prize is not multiplied. A Match 5 winner who also played the Power Play option will win the original $200,000, the amount paid under the Power Play multiplier option, and the new Match 5 Bonus effective bonus prize. Consider the following scenario: A player matches the five white numbers, another player hits the jackpot by matching all five white numbers plus the red Powerball, under the new game the prize is multiplied by 5X, and there is $385,000 available for each Match 5 winner as an additional Match 5 Bonus prize for the drawing. This player would then win $200,000 (the original Match 5 prize) + $900,000 [OP note: I think this is a typo and should be 800,000] (the extra monies created from the Power Play) + $385,000 (the actual Match 5 Bonus) for a total of $1,185,000. Put another way, the player has his $200,000 prize multiplied by 5, and then he also receives the additional $385,000 Match 5 Bonus prize.
Although it is unlikely, it is possible that no Match 5 winner will exist for a drawing where the jackpot is won and in where a Match 5 Bonus Prize pools exists. In this case, the Match 5 Bonus prize pool will be paid out to the Match 4+1 winners.
