Twenty-five years ago this week, a game that would transform the face of lotteries got its start.
Powerball began ticket sales on April 19, 1992, in Iowa and 14 other states, with the first drawing in the game on April 22, 1992.
Today, Powerball tickets are sold in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
When it was introduced, Powerball jackpots started at a guaranteed $2 million with players choosing five numbers from a pool of 1 to 45, and then the Powerball, from a separate pool of 1 to 45.
Powerball now is a $2 game and players choose 5 out of 69 numbers for the white balls, then 1 out of 26 numbers for the Powerball. The game’s jackpot starts at a guaranteed $40 million and grows until it’s won.
The biggest jackpot won in Iowa to date was the $241 million dollars in June of 2012 by a group of co-workers from the Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids.
Twenty-seven $1 million dollar tickets have been won in Iowa and five Powerball prizes of $2 million dollars.
