How Australians can buy tickets for $1 billion US Powerball jackpot
Australians are expected to chase the dream of a $1 billion lottery win as the US Powerball jackpot nears the 10-figure prize.
Kiosks across the US are attracting crowds as punters chase $A886 million in the Powerball draw this Thursday (US time).
If that top prize isn’t the claimed, and the jackpot rolls over, it could reach more than $1 billion when it’s drawn on Sunday.
While Aussies are not permitted to buy tickets in the US draw, they can bet on its outcome and win the same amount (less a 35 per cent levy) through international lottery betting service Lottoland.
Lottoland CEO Luke Brill said there had been a spike in traffic when the Powerball jackpot went up to $600 million.
The company website crashed ahead of the record-breaking draw last year when thousands of Australians rushed to get in on the top prize.
“We have learned our lessons from last time and made improvements accordingly,” Mr Brill said.
“We are confident that we can now handle this volume and ensure Australians can dream bigger and bet on this historic draw.”
If the draw jackpots, it will be the second biggest draw of all time after the $2.3 billion US Powerball draw in January 2016.
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Anyone entering will want luck on their side as the odds of winning the top prize are one in 292 million. You are more likely to be struck by lighting (a one in 1.6 million chance).
As the US prizewinners are subject to a 39.6 per cent federal tax plus state taxes, Lottoland states in its terms and conditions it “retains 35 per cent withholdings of prizes in the highest two prize categories in MegaMillions and PowerBall because it is intended to put the Player in similar economic position as if they had played the underlying lottery”.
