how late can you buy a powerball ticket

The latest you can buy a Powerball ticket varies by state, but generally, ticket sales end about one to two hours before the drawing. The Powerball drawing occurs at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. For example, in New Jersey, ticket sales close at 9:59 p.m., New York at 10:00 p.m., Delaware at 9:45 p.m., and Arkansas at 8:59 p.m. Some states stop ticket sales even earlier, around 6:59 or 7:00 p.m. local time. In general, expect that the deadline to purchase a Powerball ticket is roughly between 1 to 2 hours before the drawing, but the exact cutoff time depends on the state or jurisdiction where the ticket is purchased.