According to previous Powerball results, we’ve compared the highest pay-outs, number of winners, and chances of winning for the SA Powerball, the French Powerball, and the USA Powerball in the table below. These three games work on the same game format. You have to choose five numbers and one Powerball or Lucky Number to place your bet.
The USA Powerball holds the record for the highest lottery won in the world. During January 2016, the amount of $1,586 billion (approximately R26 billion) was won. It was divided between three winners who matched the drawn 5 numbers plus the Powerball. Each winner walked away with approximately R8 billion. In March 2019, the US Powerball paid out the third biggest amount ever won by a single winner. The winner from Wisconsin, USA, won $768,4 million (approximately R10,976,601,289).
During February 2019, the biggest Powerball amount in SA history was won by a single winner. The amount of R232 million was won. SA Powerball offers lower jackpots than US Powerball. But the odds are much higher of winning the SA Powerball (1 in 42,375,200) than the USA Powerball (1 in 292,201,338).
The French Powerball offers the best chances of winning, 1 in 19,068,840. It reflects in the number of winners there were in the last few years compared to the above-mentioned two.
How are Powerball jackpots calculated?
The USA Powerball first prize tier pay-out starts at $20 million (approximately R330 million). Should there be no winner/s, the winning amount increases with a minimum amount of $2 million (approximately R33 million).
The French Powerball starts with a minimum amount of €2 million (approximately R38 million). After each draw, another €1 million (approximately R19 million) is added, if there were no winner/s. With three draws a week the French Powerball jackpot amounts are growing faster and are won more often.
In SA, the winning amount doesn’t start at a minimum set amount. Every week the winning amount is determined according to expected ticket sales. The total winning prize money for the draw is 45% of the total estimated sales. This 45% then gets divided between the different prize tiers.
