How do you buy Powerball tickets in Virginia?
You can buy from any licensed Virginia Lottery retailer, or online. Virginia is one of the states that sells Powerball directly online, through a valottery.com account or the Virginia Lottery app, to players 18 or older who are physically in the state. Online plays can't be canceled once bought.
Each play is $2. Power Play costs $1 more per play and multiplies any non-jackpot prize by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 times, depending on the multiplier drawn; see Powerball Power Play explained. Double Play, Powerball's add-on that enters your numbers in a separate second drawing, isn't sold in Virginia. It's offered by 30 lotteries, and Virginia isn't on the official Double Play list (more in Double Play explained).
Watch the cut-off. According to the Virginia Lottery's Powerball page, sales for a drawing close at 10 p.m. ET at retailers and 9:58 p.m. ET online, about an hour before the draw. A ticket bought after the cut-off is entered in the next drawing. Cut-offs in other states are in what time they stop selling lottery tickets.
How does Powerball work?
It's one national drawing shared by every participating lottery, so the numbers are the same in Virginia as anywhere else. You pick five numbers from 1 to 69 and a Powerball from 1 to 26. The jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338 and the odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 25, across nine prize tiers. The rules are in how to play Powerball and the prizes in the Powerball prize chart. Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 public education in the state.
Where can you check Virginia Powerball numbers?
This site's Powerball results page shows the latest numbers and jackpot shortly after each drawing, pulled from an automated results feed, and the Virginia results page has the state's own games. Before you treat a ticket as a winner, check it against the official Virginia Lottery site or have a retailer scan it. Other places Virginia results appear are listed in where Virginia Lottery results are posted.
What happens if you win Powerball in Virginia?
You have 180 days from the drawing date to claim, according to the Virginia Lottery's claim page. Retailers can pay prizes up to $600. Larger prizes are claimed at a Virginia Lottery customer service center or Prize Zone, or by mail, and prizes up to $5,000 can also be claimed in the Virginia Lottery app. The steps are in how to claim a lottery prize.
On prizes over $5,000, the Lottery withholds 24% for federal tax and 4% for Virginia tax. That's withholding, not the final bill. A jackpot-sized prize falls in the 37% federal bracket, and Virginia's top income tax rate is 5.75%, so expect to owe more when you file. The numbers are worked through in the federal and state lottery tax breakdown.
Since July 1, 2026, Virginia law lets winners of any prize claim anonymously. The Lottery won't release your name, hometown or the amount you won unless you give written permission. Other states' rules are compared in the state guide to anonymous lottery winners.
If you win the jackpot, you choose between an annuity paid over 30 years and a smaller lump-sum cash payment; see lump sum vs annuity.
Virginia Powerball: common questions
What time do they stop selling Powerball tickets in Virginia?
At 10 p.m. ET at retailers and 9:58 p.m. ET online on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday draw nights. The drawing is at 10:59 p.m. ET.
Can you buy Powerball tickets online in Virginia?
Yes. The Virginia Lottery sells Powerball online at valottery.com and in its app to players 18 or older who are physically in Virginia.
Is Double Play available in Virginia?
No. Virginia isn't one of the 30 lotteries that offer Powerball Double Play. Power Play is available for $1 more per play.
How long do you have to claim a Powerball prize in Virginia?
180 days from the drawing date. After that the ticket expires.
How much tax is withheld on Virginia lottery winnings?
For prizes over $5,000, the Virginia Lottery withholds 24% for federal tax and 4% for state tax. Large winners usually owe more at filing time.
The national problem gambling helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET.
Sources: Virginia Lottery Powerball page and prize claim page, Powerball.com Double Play page.
