If you’ve ever seen a headline about a jackpot climbing past $500 million and wondered how that’s even possible, the answer is multi-state draw games. They’re a category of lottery that pools ticket sales from players across multiple states, which is what allows the prizes to reach the scale they do.
West Virginia players can play draw games online and in-store through the West Virginia Lottery, with access to several of the biggest multi-state draws available in the country
How multi-state draw games work
With a single-state game, only the players within that state contribute to the prize pool. With multi-state games, every ticket sold across all participating states feeds into the same jackpot. The more people play, the faster the jackpot grows.
If nobody wins in a given draw, the jackpot rolls over to the next one. That rollover effect is what produces the headline-grabbing totals you sometimes see. It’s also worth noting that the odds of winning the top prize don’t change based on the size of the jackpot. Each draw is an independent event.
The multi-state games available in West Virginia
West Virginia participates in three of the best-known multi-state draw games in the country.
POWERBALL© draws take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Players pick five numbers from one to 69 and one POWERBALL© number from one to 26. Jackpots start at $20 million and roll over until someone wins. Power Play is an optional add-on that multiplies non-jackpot prizes.
MEGA MILLIONS® draws are held every Tuesday and Friday. Players select five numbers from one to 70 and a Mega Ball number from one to 24. The Megaplier is included in the ticket price and can multiply non-jackpot winnings by up to five times. The jackpot also starts at $20 million.
LOTTO AMERICA© is a smaller multi-state game with draws on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Players choose five numbers from one to 52 and a Star Ball from one to 10. The jackpot starts lower than the other two games, but so does the scale of competition – LOTTO AMERICA© operates across fewer states. An All Star Bonus option multiplies non-jackpot prizes when activated.
Millionaire for Life™ is a newer addition to the West Virginia Lottery lineup. Players pick five numbers from one to 58 and one Millionaire Ball™ from one to five. Draws are held seven days a week, and tickets cost $5. The top prize is $1,000,000 a year for life, with a second-tier prize of $100,000 a year for life.
Playing in-store and online
All four games are available through the West Virginia Lottery’s iPLAY platform and at licensed retailers across the state. Online players must be 18 or older and physically located within West Virginia at the time of purchase. iPLAY accepts credit/debit cards, ACH, and PayPal.
Multi-state games are games of chance. No win is ever guaranteed, and outcomes are determined by random draws. Play within your means and set a budget before you start.
You must be 18+ to play. If you need support, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
