The latest time to buy a Powerball ticket today depends on the state, but generally, ticket sales close 1 to 2 hours before the drawing time. Powerball drawings occur at 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, so ticket sales usually close around 9:45 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET in Eastern Time states. States in other time zones have earlier cutoffs, for example, Central Time Zone states cut off around 8:59 p.m. CT, and Mountain and Pacific Time Zone states have even earlier deadlines, sometimes as early as 6:45 p.m. PT. If the user is in the Eastern Time Zone, buying a ticket by around 9:45-10:00 p.m. ET today (Tuesday, August 26, 2025) would typically be the latest. For accuracy, users should check local lottery retailer rules since cutoff times vary by jurisdiction.
