The odds of winning Wednesday’s $40 million Powerball jackpot are 1 in 175 million. Those odds are going to get worse — 1 in 292 million — in October.
It’s part of a Powerball strategy to make it harder to win huge jackpots but easier to win smaller prizes, according to USAToday.
Powerball players now pay $2 for each ticket, select five numbers from one to 59 and one number from 1 to 25. The new rules to go into effect for the Oct. 7 drawing increase the first set of numbers from 59 to 69 and the second set from 25 to 36.
The new rules also make it easier to win smaller prizes. For example, the odds of winning a $4 prize are 1 in 111. On Oct. 7, that will change to 1 in 92.
Also, 68 percent of revenue goes toward the top prize. That will change to 64 percent. More money will go to the lower prizes. For example, the third-level prize will change from $10,000 to $50,000.
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