The South African lottery was first introduced in 2000 and became a roaring success from its first day of operation. In fact, within its first three weeks, the then-operator, Uthingo, sold nearly R70 million worth of tickets. Over the years, many new games were added to the original lottery, and in 2009, Powerball was introduced, followed by Powerball Plus in 2015.
These lottery draws take place twice a week and have the potential to pay out literally millions of Rands. The biggest recorded prize for any lottery game in South Africa’s lotto history was on a Powerball draw, when an eye-popping R102,016,595 was won on a ticket bought in the Free State. Incredibly, nobody ever came forward to collect this prize. The largest claimed prize from Powerball was a no-less-hefty R91,068,427.
When the current national lottery operator, Ithuba, first rolled out Powerball, players were required to pick five main numbers (from one through to 45), as well as a Powerball number (from one through to 20). Players could win by matching the main numbers. Higher prizes were paid out by matching the Powerball number. The jackpot is won when a player matches all five main numbers and the Powerball number.
In 2015, the National Lottery decided to introduce changes to the way Powerball is played. For one, the number of main balls was raised from 45 to 50. Other adaptions included the ability to win a prize by only matching the Powerball.
In November 2015, the National Lottery rolled out Powerball Plus – played in the same way as the original Powerball lottery, but offering players a second chance to win. Players pay more for this extra chance that comes with the same odds but slightly smaller prizes.
The frenzy before Powerball draws can be felt across South Africa, especially since it has a minimum jackpot of R3 million. If nobody wins the big prize, the jackpot rolls over, with each rollover generating a whopping R13 million. Do the math – a Powerball jackpot that has rolled over 20 times could very easily reach over R100 million!
The first thing to do is obviously get hold of a valid Powerball betslip. You then use a pen or pencil to choose five numbers (from one through to 50) and an extra number (one through to 20). Head to a National Lottery approved retailer and take your betslip to the cashier. Pay for the betslip. The teller will hand you a receipt where your chosen numbers will appear. Our tip is to write your name at the back of the receipt to make sure that there is no question of the owner of the receipt if you happen to win. All that is left is to sit back and watch the twice-weekly Powerball draw on Etv on Tuesday and Friday nights. You’ll see that two machines are used for the draw – the first draws the numbers from 1 – 50, and the second draws the single Powerball ball from 1 – 20.
As we said, there is no limit to the number of Powerball boards you can buy. However, there is also the option of using the Multi-Draw feature. This nifty feature essentially allows you to play the same numbers over multiple Powerball draws.
Remember that you can only play Powerball and Powerball Plus if you are 18 years old or older. If you are lucky enough to win a prize, you have a full year (365 days) to claim it.
Buy your tickets any day of the week; however, remember that sales close half an hour before any of two draws per week.
Powerball Plus is played very much like Powerball is, with a few changes. At R2.50 per chance, it is a more affordable option for players. It is important to note, however, that you cannot play Powerball Plus without playing Powerball. On the Powerball betslip, simply tick Powerball Plus as an additional lottery to enter. You then pick five numbers between 1 and 50 and a lucky random number between 1 and 20, just as you would in regular Powerball. The National Lottery offers a Quick Pick option and this feature chooses six random numbers for you, instead of you having to make the choice.
As with Powerball tickets, you use a valid betslip that you’ll be able to purchase at any National Lottery retailer. Keep your receipt and mark it with your personal details on the back. Here, too, there is no limit to the number of betslips you can fill in per draw.
Another way of playing Powerball or Powerball Plus is online. This is a particularly convenient way of getting into South African Lottery action from the comfort of your own home. You can play from your desktop or mobile device, as follows:
These are as many bonuses that we could include in our list of Online Casino Bonuses. With so much information available on the internet, you can select your online casino site and read a lot more about their bonus options available to you. Bonuses recipients are randomly selected for the most part so don’t feel left out if you have not received one. It is probably on its way to you as we speak. Don’t forget to read through all the terms and conditions carefully and play responsibly!
After each draw, the National Lottery will publish the results and announce the winning numbers almost immediately. You can check back at online gaming sites such as SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za.
The following table shows the Powerball Plus prize structure and your odds of winning – also 1 in 18.
If you discover that you’ve chosen winning numbers in the Powerball or Powerball Plus draws, now comes the best part – claiming your prize!
Depending on the size of your prize, there are several ways to go about getting your hands on it.
No. On Powerball and Powerball Plus draw nights (ie. Tuesdays and Fridays), the lottery closes ticket sales a half hour before the draw. That means that you can’t buy tickets later than 8.30 pm on those two nights.
Yes. You cannot play Powerball Plus without buying a Powerball ticket as it is considered a supplementary option to the game. Powerball Plus simply gives you an extra opportunity to win more prizes at a reduced cost (R2.50 instead of R5.00).
None! You are not taxed on lottery wins in South Africa, and that goes for Powerball and Powerball Plus as well.