The Powerball jackpot is set for $131 million ahead of the Saturday, May 23 drawing, with a $57.6 million cash option. Here’s how to play, when the drawing happens, and the latest rules for ticket purchases.
Saturday night is shaping up like the kind of Powerball moment that keeps people checking their phones instead of going to sleep. The jackpot is up to $131 million ahead of the Saturday, May 23 drawing, with a cash option of $57.6 million for anyone who matches all six numbers.
Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. The winning numbers will be posted shortly after the May 23 draw at that same time.
You don’t need to be a U.S. citizen to play, either. Tickets can be purchased in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as long as players meet the minimum age requirement.
For Saturday’s draw, here is everything players need before they mark their ticket.
The May 23 Powerball jackpot is up to $131 million, with a cash option of $57.6 million.
Draw time is 10:59 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 23. Winning numbers will be posted shortly after.
Powerball can be played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $2 per play and are sold through authorized retailers, with some states also offering online sales. If players want extra chances at non-jackpot prizes, Power Play costs $1 and boosts non‑jackpot winnings by 2X to 10X.
To play, pick five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. Players can also use Quick Pick, letting the machine choose numbers.
To win the jackpot, players must match all five white balls and the Powerball.
The size of this week’s jackpot follows a long run of large payouts that have defined modern Powerball headlines. Some of the biggest jackpots listed alongside the current run-up include $2.040 billion on Nov. 7, 2022 in California; $1.817 billion on Dec. 24, 2025 in Arkansas; and $1.787 billion on Sept. 6, 2025 in Missouri and Texas.
Other top figures in that list are $1.765 billion on Oct. 11, 2023 in California; $1.586 billion on Jan. 13, 2016 in California, Florida and Tennessee; $1.326 billion on April 6, 2024 in Oregon; and $1.080 billion on July 19, 2023 in California.
The list also includes $842.4 million on Jan. 1, 2024 in Michigan; $768.4 million on Mar. 27, 2019 in Wisconsin; and $758.7 million on Aug. 23, 2017 in Massachusetts.
If you’re playing this week, the numbers you need will only become official after the May 23 drawing concludes at 10:59 p.m. ET.
Powerball $131 million May 23 drawing 10:59 p.m. ET cash option $57.6 million how to play Powerball Power Play Quick Pick lottery jackpot
131 million?? I swear these numbers always go up right when I don’t buy a ticket.
So cash option is 57.6M right? That seems way lower than half, like they’re just lowballing everyone lol. Also can you play online in every state or just some? My cousin said you can win without picking numbers??
I don’t get the 10:59 thing, like is that when they pick the winners or when the website updates? It says tickets in 45 states but also online in some states, so basically you can’t in most places? Anyway I’m setting an alarm for 10:59 and then I’ll check “shortly after”…
Powerball should just be $131M tax free or something, because cash option at 57.6M is like… what, the jackpot is fake. And it says you don’t need to be a US citizen, which is weird to me, like how does that even work. Plus $2 per play? That’s basically a ripoff when the odds are insane. I bet someone already has it in their pocket anyway.