"What is Powerball," you ask?

It is the name of a multi-state lottery that is currently being played in 30 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The individual state lotteries retain the profits made from your playing of the lottery and are then used to fund needed projects at the state level.

The Powerball drawing is done two times per week, on Wednesday and Saturday evenings at 10:59 pm, EST. Six balls are drawn during each Powerball drawing.

• The first five balls (the white balls) are the regular balls, numbered one through fifty-five.

• The sixth ball is the actual Powerball and is drawn from the red balls that are numbered one through forty-two.

• Prior to each drawing, a multiplier is randomly picked. This multiplier will increase the winnings of non-jackpot winners up to five times!

Note: You'll need to add a dollar per Powerball ticket to have a chance at the multiplier, but it just might be worth it!

History: Powerball started on April 22, 1992 to replace the existing multi-state game, "Lotto America;" which was run for four years prior. Each state that offers Powerball is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association, also known as MUSL.