The deadline to purchase Powerball tickets varies by state but generally tickets must be bought 1 to 2 hours before the drawing time.
- Powerball drawings happen at 10:59 p.m. ET on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
- In Eastern Time Zone states, ticket sales usually close around 9:45 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET.
- Central Time Zone states cut off sales around 8:59 p.m. CT.
- Mountain and Pacific Time Zone states often stop sales earlier, sometimes as early as 6:45 p.m. PT.
- For example, in Pennsylvania, the cutoff is exactly 9:59 p.m. ET, and in Iowa and Arkansas, the cutoff is 8:59 p.m. CT.
- Washington state has a cutoff at 6:45 p.m. PT.
These times ensure the lottery officials have adequate time to securely process all sales before the drawing. It's best to check with the local state lottery as exact cutoff times differ by jurisdiction.