Getty Powerball cutoff times
It’s not unusual to wait until the last minute to buy a lottery ticket, especially when the Powerball drawings have gotten so large recently. The drawing for Monday, November 7, is already estimated to hit $1.9 billion — which is the largest Powerball drawing in history. So how late can you buy tickets? What’s the cutoff time? Read on for everything you need to know about the Powerball drawing.
What Is the General Cut-Off Time for Tickets?
Powerball drawings are every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Eastern, and most states will stop selling tickets 59 minutes before the drawing, but this can vary from state to state. Powerball notes on its website: “Sales cut-off times vary by selling jurisdiction. Please check with your local lottery for more information.”
That’s why we’re providing a state-by-state list of Powerball cutoff times below.
State-by-State Powerball Cutoff Times
GettyPowerball
Please note that the list below is not guaranteed, and some retailers may choose to change their cutoff times. So you might want to call your local retailer just to make sure. (Note: We are only listing states where tickets are sold.)
- Arizona: “Sales stop on draw nights at 6:59 p.m. Arizona time from the second Sunday in March through the first Saturday in November and at 7:59 pm Arizona time from the first Sunday in November through the second Saturday in March.” (per ArizonaLottery.com)
- Arkansas: Sales end one hour before the drawing at 8:59 p.m.
- California: Drawings typically close at 7 p.m. Pacific, an hour before the drawing. But check with your retailer to be sure.
- Colorado: Sales are suspended on draw day from 7:30 to 7:33 p.m. local time. You can start buying tickets each day at 4:30 a.m. except Sunday, in which sales start at 8 a.m. Sales end each night at 11:59 p.m. “for balancing.”
- Connecticut: “On drawing nights (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday), wagering closes at 10:00 PM and reopens at 11:15 PM.”
- Delaware: Play up until 9:45 p.m. on draw days.
- Florida: According to the lottery website: “On drawing nights, you will be able to purchase POWERBALL tickets until game sales close at 10:00 p.m. ET. MUSL requires adequate time to ensure that the draw data has been securely received from all 48 member lotteries before the POWERBALL drawing is held at 10:59 p.m. ET. There will be a 5-minute sales break between 10:00 p.m. and 10:05 p.m. ET on the night of the POWERBALL drawings, and sales after 10:05 p.m. ET will be for the next drawing.”
- Georgia: Tickets are sold from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. on the day of drawings, and until 1 a.m. on other days.
- Idaho: The state website notes: “Players may purchase tickets until one hour and five minutes prior to the draw on the night of the draw. At one hour prior to the draw, sales will resume for the next draw.”
- Illinois: Retailers stop selling at 9 p.m. local time on draw day.
- Indiana: Most stop an hour before drawing time, but check with your local retailer to be sure.
- Iowa: Cutoff time is 8:59 p.m. on draw day.
- Kansas: Cutoff time is 8:59 p.m. on draw day.
- Kentucky: Most cutoff times are an hour before the drawing, but check with your local retailer to be sure.
- Louisiana: The state lottery notes: “Make sure you buy your tickets for each Powerball drawing by 9 p.m. on the day of the drawing. Tickets purchased after 9 p.m. on drawing nights will be valid for the next drawing(s).”
- Maine: Cutoff time is 9:50 p.m. Eastern on draw day.
- Maryland: Cutoff time is 9:59 p.m. Eastern
- Massachusetts: Most cutoff times are an hour before the drawing, but check with your local retailer to be sure.
- Michigan: The state lottery notes: “In-store and online ticket sales for the current draw are available until 9:45 p.m. on the night of the draw.”
- Minnesota: 9 p.m. on drawing days, the lottery notes.
- Mississippi: Most cutoff times are an hour before the drawing, but check with your local retailer to be sure.
- Missouri: Sales stop from 8:59 to 10 p.m. on draw days.
- Montana: Sales stop 8 p.m. the day of the drawing.
- Nebraska: Sales stop from 9 a.m. to 9:03 p.m. the day of the drawing.
- New Hampshire: If buying online you have until 9:48 p.m., if buying in stores you have until 9:50 p.m. on draw days.
- New Jersey: The site notes: “Purchase your Powerball tickets prior to 9:59 pm on Monday, Wednesday & Saturday for the drawing.”
- New Mexico: They note: “Tickets can be purchased until 8:00 PM Mountain Time for that night’s drawing. Sales for the next draw resume at 8:10 PM.”
- New York: Most cutoff times are an hour before the drawing, but check with your local retailer to be sure.
- North Carolina: Most cutoff times are an hour before the drawing, but check with your local retailer to be sure.
- North Dakota: Check with your local retailer, most will cutoff an hour before the drawing.
- Ohio: 10 p.m., according to their website.
- Oklahoma: Typically 9:59 p.m. local time.
- Oregon: The drawing is at 7:59 p.m. Pacific, and the last time to buy a ticket is typically 6:69 p.m. Pacific, but check with local retailers to be sure.
- Pennsylvania: The cutoff is 9:59 p.m. local time on draw days.
- Rhode Island: Cutoff is typically an hour before draw time, but check with your local retailer.
- South Carolina: Sales are suspended at 9:59 p.m. local time on draw days.
- South Dakota: The state website notes: “Buy tickets up until 9:00 p.m. (CT) / 8:00 p.m. (MT) on the nights of the drawings. Or, ask your retailer how to play up to nine consecutive draws in advance.”
- Tennessee: Cutoff is typically an hour before draw time, but check with your local retailer.
- Texas: The state website notes: “Tickets are not available during Draw Break, from 9:00-10:15 p.m. CT.”
- Vermont: The website notes: “Draws are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 PM with a cutoff of 9:50 PM to purchase tickets for that evening’s draw. All draw times are based on Eastern Time.”
- Virginia: Cutoff is typically an hour before draw time, but check with your local retailer.
- Washington: The website notes: “Ticket sales are cut-off every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday night at 6:45 p.m. and resume at 6:46 p.m. Pacific Time.”
- Washington D.C.: Cutoff is typically an hour before draw time, but check with your local retailer.
- West Virginia: Cutoff is typically an hour before draw time, but check with your local retailer.
- Wisconsin: Cutoff is typically an hour before draw time, but check with your local retailer.
- Wyoming: The state website notes that on draw days “Ticket sales close at 8:00 p.m. MT. Ticket sales reopen shortly after each draw.”