Playing Powerball in Virginia? Drawings are Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 PM ET; tickets are $2 at any Virginia retailer or online through the official valottery.com; and Virginia gives you 180 days to claim, withholds 4% state tax on big wins, and, under a law that took effect July 1, 2026, lets any winner keep their name private. Here's everything Virginia-specific about the game. We're an independent results site, so we'll also show you the fastest place to check tonight's numbers.
How do you buy Powerball tickets in Virginia?
There are two official routes: any licensed retailer, or online. Virginia's iLottery sells Powerball through a valottery.com account or the official app to players 18+ who are physically in the state. Each play is $2. The Power Play add-on (+$1) multiplies non-jackpot prizes 2×–10×, as covered in Power Play explained. Powerball's other add-on, Double Play, is not offered in Virginia. It's sold by 30 other lotteries, and Virginia isn't on the official Double Play list (Double Play explained).
Mind the cutoff. The Virginia Lottery stops selling Powerball tickets for that night's drawing at 10 p.m., about an hour before the draw. A ticket bought after 10 p.m. goes into the next drawing, so buy before the evening rush.
How does Powerball work?
Powerball is the same national draw in every participating state. You pick 5 numbers from 1–69 plus a Powerball from 1–26. The jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338, the overall odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 25, and there are nine prize tiers. The full rules are in our how to play Powerball guide and prize chart. Virginia's ticket revenue, like all Virginia Lottery profits, funds K-12 public education.
Where can you check Virginia Powerball numbers?
Tonight's winning numbers, jackpot, and full prize breakdown appear on our Powerball results page within minutes of the 10:59 PM ET drawing, alongside every other Virginia game on the Virginia results page. Results are identical nationwide because it's one draw, so any archive works. Still, check a winning ticket against the official site before celebrating. For more places results get posted, see where Virginia results are posted.
What happens if you win Powerball in Virginia?
- Claim window: Virginia draw-game tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Retailers pay small prizes. Prizes over $600 are claimed at a Virginia Lottery customer service center or Prize Zone, or by mail, and how to claim covers the process.
- Taxes: on prizes over $5,000, the Virginia Lottery withholds 24% for federal taxes and 4% for state taxes. Withholding isn't the final bill: jackpot-sized wins land in the 37% federal bracket, and Virginia's top income-tax rate is 5.75%. See the full take-home breakdown.
- Anonymity: as of July 1, 2026, a Virginia law lets winners of any prize amount claim anonymously. The Lottery won't release your name, hometown, or amount won without your written permission. Earlier rules limited privacy to the biggest prizes, which makes this one of the more player-friendly policies in the country (state-by-state guide).
- Jackpot choice: you choose between a 30-year annuity and a lump-sum cash payment. The decision framework is in lump sum vs annuity.
Facts and figures verified September 2026 against the Virginia Lottery and Powerball.com. Play responsibly — 1-800-MY-RESET.
