How it's drawn: alongside the main 5+1 draw, a Power Play number is drawn from a separate pool. The standard pool contains 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, and 10x multipliers — 10x is rare (it only appears when the announced jackpot is below $150M). On larger jackpot weeks the 10x is removed from the pool, capping multipliers at 5x.
What it multiplies: every prize tier from Match-1+PB ($4) up through Match-4+PB ($50,000). A 10x multiplier turns a $50,000 Match-4+PB into $500,000. A 2x turns a $7 Match-3 into $14.
What it doesn't multiply: the jackpot. The Division 1 (5+PB) prize is paid as advertised — the Power Play multiplier is irrelevant on the headline. If you match all six and bought Power Play, you get the jackpot, not 10x the jackpot.
The Match-5 cap: matching all 5 mains without the Powerball normally pays $1 million. With Power Play, that $1M doubles to $2M — but only doubles. A 10x Power Play does NOT make Match-5 pay $10M. The Match-5 prize is fixed at a $2M ceiling regardless of the multiplier drawn.
Cost-benefit: the $1 Power Play premium adds 50% to the base $2 ticket. Expected return depends on the prize tier you're realistically targeting — for casual players whose hit rate concentrates on low tiers (Match-1+PB, Match-3, etc.), Power Play roughly doubles small prize income. For jackpot-only players it's pure overhead.
Selling jurisdictions: Power Play is offered in every Powerball-selling jurisdiction — 45 states + DC + Puerto Rico + USVI — except California. California by state law cannot sell pari-mutuel multipliers; California Powerball winners get the base prize tier amounts only.