How Late Can You Play Before a Draw?

Powerball draws take place on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; Mega Millions draws on Tuesday and Friday. All draws are held at 10:59 or 11:00 p.m. Eastern. Sales close earlier, however, and the cut-off varies by state — so always check your local deadline before validating a slip.

Official draw times

Powerball draws numbers on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Eastern. Mega Millions draws on Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 p.m.

Draws are filmed and broadcast live; official results are then published by each participating state lottery.

Sales close one to two hours earlier

Most jurisdictions stop accepting wagers between one and two hours before the draw. The exact time depends on the state and sometimes on the retailer.

Rule of thumb: treat 9:00 p.m. Eastern on draw day as your safe deadline, and always check the counter display.

Buying online

This site is not a lottery operator and sells no tickets. It produces statistical analyses and grids to be copied onto an official slip. Purchase, validation and payment are exclusively handled by official lotteries.