Getty How late can you wait to buy tickets?
Many people don’t start thinking about buying a Powerball ticket until the night of the drawing. You might not remember how big the jackpot is until later, and suddenly you get that rushed panicky feeling: “Is there still time?!” Just how close can you push picking up a ticket before it’s too late to have a chance at that $550 million drawing tonight? When do they stop selling tickets in 2019? The drawing tonight is at 10:59 p.m. Eastern every Saturday and Wednesday, and most states will stop selling tickets 59 minutes before the drawing, but this can vary from state to state. That’s why we’re providing a state-by-state list of Powerball cutoff times below. Of course, your actual chance at winning millions is pretty slim, but for many people it’s a chance that’s well worth taking, especially when the Powerball gets this big. According to Powerball.com: “Draw sales cut off at least 59 minutes before the draw, but a state may cut off sales earlier.” Here are the exact times per state when ticket sales stop the night of the drawing, according to state lottery sites and LotteryHub, but you might still want to call your local retailer to make sure they’re not closing sales early for any reason if you’re making a last-minute purchase:
- Arizona: “6:59 p.m. Arizona time from the second Sunday in March through the first Saturday in November, and at 7:59 p.m. 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.
- California: 7 p.m. Pacific the day of the drawing.
- Colorado: Sales are suspended on draw day from 7:30 to 7:33 p.m. Mountain time. Sales are also suspended every night at 11:59 p.m. Powerball tickets can’t be redeemed until 9 p.m. after the drawing. You can buy tickets up to 13 weeks in advance.
- Connecticut: You can buy tickets until 9:59 p.m. Eastern, an hour before the drawing. (Some sources say 10 p.m. Eastern.)
- Delaware: Play up until 9:45 p.m. on draw days.
- Florida: 10 p.m. Eastern the night of the 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: This state closes ticket sales a little earlier. You can buy until one hour and five minutes before the drawing the night of the draw. (The drawing is at 8:59 p.m MT.) One hour before the drawing, sales resume for the next Powerball.
- Illinois: Most retailers stop selling an hour before the drawing.
- Indiana: 9:59 p.m. Eastern.
- Iowa: 8:59 p.m. Central (some sources say 9 p.m.)
- Kansas: Most places stop an hour before the drawing, but call first to make sure.
- Kentucky: 10 p.m. Eastern.
- Louisiana: 9 p.m. (After 9, tickets are valid for the next drawing, not that night’s.)
- Maine: 9:50 p.m. Eastern
- Maryland: 10 p.m. Eastern
- Massachusetts: 9:50 p.m. Eastern
- Michigan: 9:45 p.m. Eastern
- Minnesota: 9 p.m. on drawing days. (Lottery terminals operate from 5 a.m. to midnight.)
- Missouri: Sales stop from 8:59 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- Montana: 8 p.m. Mountain, the day of the drawing.
- Nebraska: 9 p.m. Central, the day of the drawing.
- New Hampshire: 9:50 p.m. Eastern
- New Jersey: 10 p.m. Eastern
- New Mexico: 8 p.m. Mountain
- New York: 9 p.m. Eastern
- North Carolina: The deadline for purchasing a ticket is 9:59 p.m Eastern (although some sites say 10 p.m.)
- North Dakota: 9 p.m. Central
- Ohio: 10 p.m. Eastern
- Oklahoma: 9 p.m. Central
- Oregon: The drawing is at 7:59 p.m. Pacific, and the last time to buy a ticket is 7 p.m. Pacific.
- Pennsylvania: 10 p.m. Eastern
- Rhode Island: 9:50 p.m. Eastern
- South Carolina: 10 p.m. Eastern
- South Dakota: 9 p.m. Central.
- Tennessee: 10 p.m. Eastern (some areas are in the Central time zone, however)
- Texas: Ticket sales aren’t available during the draw break from 9 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Central. Drawings are broadcast at 10:12 p.m. Central.
- Vermont: 9:50 p.m. Eastern
- Virginia: The cutoff on draw days is 10 p.m. Eastern.
- Washington: 6:45 p.m. Pacific.
- Washington D.C.: 9:45 p.m Eastern
- West Virginia: 10 p.m. Eastern
- Wisconsin: 9 p.m. Central.
- Wyoming: Draw breaks happen at 7:59 p.m. on drawing night.
The sooner you can get your ticket the better, especially in case you’re one of the unlucky people who has to wait in a long line. And the bigger the Powerball gets with every drawing, the longer that line will become. Powerball tickets are typically sold in most local convenience stores and grocery stores. But you might want to give the store a call first to make sure they sell the ticket, and then ask them how late the tickets are offered for sale. Remember: tickets can be bought in 44 states, plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The only states that don’t participate in Powerball are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, and Utah. You can also visit your state’s lottery website to find out exactly when ticket sales will stop tonight. Tickets are only $2 each.
