If just one Aussie snares Thursday’s entire $80 million Powerball jackpot, they’ll immediately share the title of the nation’s third-biggest lottery winner.
Up to one-in-four Australian adults are expected to have an entry in this week’s $80 million draw, which offers the equal biggest prize of any Australian lottery game so far this year.
The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said anyone scoring a slice of the division one Powerball jackpot this week would have their prize paid on Friday 17 December, setting the scene for a very festive Christmas and New Year.
“We’ve only seen an $80 million Powerball prize offered twice before in 2021, and on both of those occasions, the prize was won. Will we see history repeat itself this week?” he said.
“In the lead up to the last Powerball $80 million draw, the peak of sales was at 6.43pm – less than an hour before the draw’s close – when more than 7,000 entries were purchased in-store and online in a single minute.
“We’re expecting similar interest in this week’s massive draw. Needless to say, you need to be in it for the chance to win it.
“Just remember Powerball’s $80 million draw closes at 7.30pm AEST on Thursday, so if you’re planning on grabbing a ticket, get in early either in-store, online or via The Lott app.
“My big tip is to register your entry to a player card or online account. This means your prize is secure and we can reach out to you straight after the draw on Thursday night if you win division one.”
Australia’s biggest lottery wins
The only Australians who have won more than $80 million from an Australian lottery game are a Sydney mum who won a $107 million Powerball prize in 2019 and a Chatswood dad who won $96 million in Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot the same year.
Powerball’s winning states in 2021
So far this year, there have been 13 division one wins that have collected more than $470 million.
These wins have been concentrated along the eastern seaboard, with New South Wales taking the lead scoring seven of the 13 division one wins. Queensland has enjoyed four wins, while Victoria has seen two.
Powerball’s winning entry types in 2021
Seven of the 13 division one Powerball wins so far this year have been delivered by a PowerHit entry.
PowerHit entries are unique to Powerball and guarantee the all-important Powerball number needed to win division one. People can either mark their own numbers on a PowerHit entry or grab a QuickPick, where the lottery terminal randomly selects the numbers for you.
Nine of the 13 division one winning Powerball entries were QuickPick entries.
Powerball’s most frequently drawn numbers
To win Powerball’s division one prize, you need to have all seven winning numbers (drawn from the main barrel of 35 numbers) plus the Powerball (drawn from the Powerball barrel of 20 numbers) in a single game panel.
From the main barrel, the most frequently drawn winning numbers during the past three years are 17, 7, 9, 2, and 11. The least frequently drawn winning number are 31, 34, 33, 15 and 6. For the separate Powerball barrel, the most frequently drawn Powerball number is 19, while the least frequently drawn Powerball number is 18.
Powerball draw 1333 closes on Thursday 2 December 2021 at 7:30pm AEST.
Tickets can be purchased at any licenced lottery outlet, online from thelott.com or via The Lott mobile app.