How North Carolina's new Powerball option works

Want another shot at millions? North Carolina just added a new feature to Powerball that doubles your chances of winning.

The timing couldn't be better. Powerball just hit a $1.79 billion jackpot on September 6, 2025. That's the second-largest jackpot in the game's history. Nearly 10 million tickets won cash prizes in that single drawing alone.

Interest in Powerball is at a fever pitch. And now, North Carolina players have an extra way to get in on the action.

What is Powerball Double Play?

Double Play gives players a second drawing using the same numbers. Buy one ticket. Enter two drawings. Simple as that.

The feature launched with Monday night's first drawing. Now every Powerball drawing on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday includes an optional Double Play drawing immediately after.

How much does it cost?

Double Play costs $1 per play. It's an add-on only, not a standalone ticket. A standard Powerball ticket costs $2. Add Double Play for $1. Total cost: $3.

What can you win?

The Double Play drawing offers prizes from $7 to $10 million. Match just the Powerball? Win $7. Match all five white balls plus the red Powerball? Win $10 million.

Your ticket can win in the regular Powerball drawing, the Double Play drawing, or both. The odds of hitting the $10 million Double Play jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

How do you play?

Use the same process you already know. The only change: opt in to Double Play.

Buy your ticket at any retail location. Select Double Play at the counter, on a lottery vending machine, through the lottery website, or in the app. Your numbers play in both drawings automatically.

Is it worth it?

That depends on what you value. An extra dollar buys another chance at life-changing money. The $10 million top prize in Double Play is smaller than typical Powerball jackpots, but it's a fixed prize with better odds than the main jackpot.

North Carolina joins 25 other lotteries offering this feature:

• Colorado
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Idaho
• Indiana (Hoosier)
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Puerto Rico
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• Washington

Mark Michalko, CEO of the North Carolina Education Lottery, said the addition gives players "a new way to win $10 million."

Does an extra chance justify an extra dollar? Only you can decide that. But the math is straightforward. Same numbers. Two drawings. More opportunities to win.