After failing to win Saturday’s Powerball jackpot, it has now reached a record US$1.9 billion (C$2.6 billion), a jackpot that can be won even if you don’t hit the jackpot live in the United States.
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Quebecers tempted to get their hands on this colossal kitty coming into play Monday can do so legally, but entering the raffle can be complicated.
Under the rules of the lottery, anyone crossing any of the 45 participating states can legally receive a ticket without being a US citizen.
In contrast, Section 1305 of the US Customs Act prohibits the importation of “immoral articles,” a category that includes “any lottery ticket or printed paper capable of serving as a lottery ticket or lottery advertisement.” Legally, a Canadian cannot enter Canada and then return to the United States on a Powerball ticket that must be validated in the state where it was purchased in order to receive its prize.
Another solution is to do business with an online lottery resale site that offers customers to buy tickets for them. Since the tickets are purchased and stored in the United States, there is no problem with importing lottery tickets, but it is still possible to trust the various websites.
Really 1.9 billion?
Also, while Monday’s record prize pool may seem very attractive, you should also know that the winner won’t actually bag $1.9 billion.
The Powerball offers two ways to claim the jackpot, either by winning the entire jackpot over a 30-year period, or by accepting a smaller sum immediately. In the next draw on Monday, that amount should easily top $900 million (C$1.2 billion).
In either case, the winner will be required to pay 30% of their winnings in US federal tax. Different states also have their own rules ranging from no taxation to almost 10%.
For example, among the states bordering Quebec, New Hampshire is the cheapest state with 0% tax, followed by Vermont (6%), Maine (7.15%) and New York State (8.82%), according to a compilation by TheLotter. The “Snowbirds” installed in Florida do not have to pay taxes on lottery winnings.
In the Powerball, a combination of five numbers between 1 and 69 is drawn, followed by the Powerball with a number between 1 and 26. The probability of getting the full combination is 1 in 292,201,338. In other words, a person is 292- times more likely to be struck by lightning (1 in 1 million) than winning the Powerball if he plays it once in his life.
In a sign of the difficulty in winning the jackpot, since August 3, the jackpot has continued to grow despite a rhythm of three drawings per week, hence the record $1.9 billion. The previous record was set on January 13, 2016 when three winners shared $1.5 billion.
$1 billion draws are not that uncommon in the United States. Two Mega Millions draws have also surpassed this mark in the past two years, in July 2022 and January 2021.