Powerball Xs & Os: Odds, Prizes, Taxes and Claims

Powerball Xs & Os is a $5 NFL-logo draw game based on randomly selected team logos. This guide explains the play format, published prizes and odds, separate promotional entries, federal tax treatment and jurisdiction-specific claiming requirements.

Powerball Xs & Os at a Glance

Powerball announced Powerball Xs & Os on August 27, 2026. Ticket sales are scheduled to begin on September 8, 2026, and the first drawing is scheduled for September 13, 2026. The launch announcement lists 24 U.S. lottery jurisdictions for the initial launch and says additional lotteries plan to join later in 2026.

The game uses NFL team logos as its selection feature, but it is a lottery draw game rather than a football prediction contest. Players choose eight different NFL team logos from a lineup of 32 teams, or use Quick Pick where available. The winning team logos are selected at random. Results are not based on NFL scores, standings or game outcomes.

That distinction matters when considering the game. Football knowledge, team preferences and opinions about standings do not determine the winning logos. The available game rules describe a random selection process, so players should evaluate the game using its published rules and odds rather than football performance.

The $5 price applies to a Powerball Xs & Os play. The game also has a separate national promotional program for eligible winning and non-winning tickets. That promotion is distinct from the cash-prize drawing and should not be confused with the logo-matching rules.

How a Powerball Xs & Os Play Works

A Powerball Xs & Os play costs $5. To make a play, a player chooses eight different NFL team logos from the 32-team lineup. Quick Pick may be available, allowing the selection to be generated through the lottery's available play process instead of being chosen manually.

The winning team logos are selected at random. The order of the logos does not matter when determining whether a ticket wins. A ticket wins a cash prize by matching at least four teams in any order. Matching all eight teams wins the jackpot.

The practical question is therefore how many of the randomly selected winning logos appear among the eight logos on a ticket. A player is not predicting a final score, choosing a game winner or matching the order in which teams appear. NFL game results have no role in determining the winning logos under the stated rules.

The cash-prize structure can be understood as a series of match levels:

• Four matching teams produce the published four-team prize.
• Five matching teams produce the published five-team prize.
• Six matching teams produce the published six-team prize.
• Seven matching teams produce the published seven-team prize.
• Eight matching teams win the jackpot.

These match levels are based on the number of winning team logos matched in any order. They are not based on which teams were selected, whether a team is popular or how a team performed in an NFL game.

The game has two separate participation tracks:

• The cash game uses the eight-logo selection and the random winning-logo drawing.
• The national promotion allows eligible tickets to be entered separately.

Buying a ticket does not change the random cash-game selection process. The promotional program also does not change the number of logos a ticket must match for a cash prize.

Drawings and Ticket Timing

Powerball Xs & Os drawings are held every Sunday at approximately 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Indiana's official game FAQ says ticket sales close no later than 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday.

The Indiana cutoff is a jurisdiction-specific detail. Players should check the official lottery where they buy a ticket for the applicable sales instructions and other local requirements. Powerball states that participation is subject to the requirements of each participating lottery jurisdiction, along with applicable laws and regulations.

The first drawing is scheduled for September 13, 2026, after ticket sales are scheduled to begin on September 8, 2026. The launch schedule does not mean that the game is available in every U.S. lottery jurisdiction at the same time. The initial announcement lists 24 jurisdictions and says additional lotteries plan to join later in 2026.

South Dakota illustrates why local information matters. The South Dakota Department of Revenue recorded a rulemaking action adopting Powerball Xs & Os game rules, with a listed rule-effective date of August 4, 2026. That date belongs to the South Dakota rulemaking record; it is not the national ticket-sales start date or the first drawing date.

For related state lottery result information, LotteryCoast also provides Lotto America results (South Dakota) and Mega Millions results (Indiana). Those pages concern other lottery games, so a player should always identify the exact game named on the ticket before checking results.

Powerball Xs & Os Prizes and Odds

The published prize chart lists these lower-tier prizes and odds for a $5 play:

• Matching seven teams: $20,000 at odds of 1 in 54,782.81.
• Matching six teams: $500 at odds of 1 in 1,361.06.
• Matching five teams: $40 at odds of 1 in 92.80.
• Matching four teams: $7 at odds of 1 in 14.14.

The jackpot odds are 1 in 10,518,300 for a $5 play. The published overall odds of winning any cash prize are 1 in 12.16, based on a $5 play and rounded to two decimal places.

The overall figure of 1 in 12.16 describes the published chance of winning any listed cash prize for a play. It does not mean that every 12th play will win, that prizes will appear on a predictable schedule or that buying a particular number of plays guarantees a result. Each ticket remains subject to the random drawing and the game's matching rules.

The jackpot odds are much longer than the odds for the lower match levels. A ticket can have a chance of winning a lower-tier prize without having a realistic expectation of matching all eight logos. The different figures should therefore be read separately rather than combined into a prediction about a particular ticket.

The game page lists an estimated starting jackpot of $1 million. The jackpot rolls when it is not won and resets to $1 million after it is won. The jackpot is a cash prize rather than an annuity. If more than one ticket wins the jackpot in the same drawing, the jackpot is split equally among the jackpot winners.

The lower-tier amounts require an important qualification. Powerball states that lower-tier prizes may become pari-mutuel in some circumstances. The published fixed amounts are therefore not guaranteed in every possible situation. The prize chart remains the stated reference for the published structure, but the lower-tier figures should not be treated as an unconditional promise that every prize will always be paid at the listed amount.

The published odds also do not create a selection strategy. Choosing one set of team logos instead of another does not alter the random nature of the drawing. The rules describe which logos can be selected and how many matches are required, while the odds describe the probability associated with the $5 play.

The Cash Game and the Ticket-Entry Promotion Are Separate

Powerball Xs & Os includes a separate national promotional program. Eligible winning and non-winning tickets can be entered into that program, and Powerball says there is no additional cost beyond buying an eligible ticket.

The promotion is not another cash-prize match level. The cash game is determined by the randomly selected winning team logos and the number of matching teams on the ticket. The promotion concerns whether an eligible ticket is entered into the separate program under the applicable requirements.

Because the two programs are separate, a non-winning cash-game ticket may still be eligible for the promotion. A ticket that wins a cash prize may also be eligible, subject to the applicable program requirements. Promotional eligibility does not change the ticket's cash-game result.

The Hoosier Lottery FAQ provides Indiana-specific entry information. It says that a $5 ticket provides five promotional entries, tickets may be entered upon purchase, and tickets must be entered within 90 days of the last draw on the ticket.

Those details should be identified as Indiana information rather than applied automatically across the country. Powerball states that participation is limited by applicable adult age, residency, eligibility, laws, regulations and the requirements of each participating lottery jurisdiction. The local lottery's instructions determine how those requirements apply to a ticket purchased there.

The promotion also should not be described as a way to improve the cash-game odds. Entering an eligible ticket is a separate promotional action. It does not make a selected group of team logos more likely to match the randomly selected winning logos.

A careful player can keep the two processes organized by checking the cash result first and then reviewing the promotional instructions for the ticket's selling jurisdiction. The $5 ticket price, logo selections, cash prizes and promotional entries are related to the same ticket, but they are not the same drawing or the same set of rules.

U.S. Tax Treatment

For U.S. federal tax purposes, lottery winnings are taxable income and must be reported. The IRS states that lottery winnings must be reported even when the payer does not issue Form W-2G.

The IRS instructions state that regular federal gambling withholding is generally 24% when lottery winnings minus the wager exceed $5,000, subject to the applicable withholding conditions. The 24% figure describes regular federal withholding under the stated conditions. It is not a statement that every prize will have that amount withheld.

Federal reporting and withholding are separate from the game odds. A ticket's tax treatment does not affect whether its logos match the randomly selected winning logos. Similarly, the fact that a prize is taxable does not change the published prize amount or the jackpot odds.

The fact list establishes the federal treatment described above, but it does not establish one final tax amount for every winner. The withholding figure is not a complete substitute for reviewing the winner's reporting obligations. Anyone preparing a claim should consult the applicable IRS guidance and consider professional tax advice when the prize or the winner's circumstances make the filing position difficult to assess.

Players should also retain the ticket and relevant claim information until the result and any claim obligations have been addressed. The key verified point for federal purposes is that lottery winnings are taxable income and must be reported, including winnings without a Form W-2G.

Claims and Jurisdiction Limits

Winning tickets must be redeemed in the state or jurisdiction where they were sold. A ticket purchased in one jurisdiction should not be treated as payable through another jurisdiction merely because the same game is offered there.

This rule makes the selling lottery central to every claim. The relevant lottery is the one that issued the ticket, and its requirements govern the available claim process. Powerball states that participation is subject to applicable adult age, residency, eligibility, laws, regulations and the requirements of each participating lottery jurisdiction.

The available verified information does not establish one Powerball Xs & Os cash-prize deadline for every participating jurisdiction. Players should therefore confirm the deadline and claim instructions directly with the lottery that sold the ticket. A local sales cutoff, such as Indiana's Sunday cutoff of no later than 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time, should not be confused with a prize-claim deadline.

The same distinction applies to purchase availability. The national announcement identifies the initial launch jurisdictions and later planned participation, while each lottery jurisdiction applies its own requirements. A player should confirm that the game is available through the intended lottery before relying on local instructions.

If a ticket appears to match at least four winning teams, verify the result through the official selling lottery and protect the ticket while checking the claim process. Matching four teams is the threshold for a cash prize under the stated rules, but redemption still depends on the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold and that lottery's applicable requirements.

For readers checking other game information by state, LotteryCoast also lists Mega Millions results (Delaware). That link is not a substitute for the selling lottery's Powerball Xs & Os rules, claim instructions or official result verification.

What to Remember Before Playing

Powerball Xs & Os is built around eight NFL team-logo selections from a lineup of 32 teams. A player may select the logos or use Quick Pick where available. The winning logos are selected at random, and the results are not based on NFL scores, standings or game outcomes.

A $5 play can win a cash prize by matching at least four teams in any order. Matching four teams pays the published $7 lower-tier amount, matching five pays $40, matching six pays $500 and matching seven pays $20,000, subject to the qualification that lower-tier prizes may become pari-mutuel in some circumstances. Matching all eight teams wins the jackpot.

The jackpot odds are 1 in 10,518,300 for a $5 play. The overall odds of winning any published cash prize are 1 in 12.16. These figures describe probability for the play; they are not a schedule, prediction or guarantee. Team performance and football knowledge do not determine the random winning-logo selection.

The estimated starting jackpot is $1 million. It rolls when not won and resets to $1 million after being won. The jackpot is paid as a cash prize, and a jackpot won by more than one ticket in the same drawing is split equally among the jackpot winners.

The separate national promotion can accept eligible winning and non-winning tickets without an additional cost beyond buying an eligible ticket. Indiana's FAQ says a $5 ticket provides five promotional entries and that tickets must be entered within 90 days of the last draw on the ticket. Those details are Indiana-specific and should not be treated as universal terms.

Claims must be made in the state or jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Participation is also subject to applicable adult age, residency, eligibility, laws, regulations and lottery-jurisdiction requirements. Federal lottery winnings are taxable income and must be reported, including winnings for which the payer does not issue Form W-2G. Regular federal gambling withholding is generally 24% when winnings minus the wager exceed $5,000, subject to applicable conditions.

Play only with money set aside for entertainment. Do not use a team preference, football analysis, a number-selection habit or the separate promotion as a reason to spend beyond that limit. Random results remain random, and no selection approach is presented by the verified rules as a way to improve the odds.

FAQ

What is Powerball Xs & Os?

Powerball Xs & Os is an NFL-logo draw game announced by Powerball on August 27, 2026. Ticket sales are scheduled to begin on September 8, 2026, and the first drawing is scheduled for September 13, 2026. A play costs $5.

How do you play Powerball Xs & Os?

Choose eight different NFL team logos from a lineup of 32 teams, or use Quick Pick where available. The winning team logos are selected at random. Results are not based on NFL scores, standings or game outcomes.

How many teams must a ticket match to win a cash prize?

A ticket wins a cash prize by matching at least four teams in any order. Matching all eight teams wins the jackpot.

What are the Powerball Xs & Os odds?

The jackpot odds are 1 in 10,518,300 for a $5 play. The overall odds of winning any published cash prize are 1 in 12.16. The lower-tier odds are 1 in 14.14 for matching four teams, 1 in 92.80 for matching five, 1 in 1,361.06 for matching six and 1 in 54,782.81 for matching seven.

What are the Powerball Xs & Os prizes?

The published lower-tier prizes are $7 for matching four teams, $40 for matching five, $500 for matching six and $20,000 for matching seven. Matching all eight teams wins the jackpot. The estimated starting jackpot is $1 million, and the jackpot is a cash prize. Lower-tier prizes may become pari-mutuel in some circumstances, so the listed lower-tier amounts are not guaranteed in every possible situation.

Does the jackpot grow if no ticket wins?

The verified game information says that the jackpot rolls when it is not won and resets to $1 million after it is won. It does not establish a jackpot growth formula.

Is the NFL promotion the same as the cash game?

No. The cash game uses the random team-logo draw and matching rules. The separate national promotion allows eligible winning and non-winning tickets to be entered, and Powerball says there is no additional cost beyond buying an eligible ticket. Promotional entry requirements can be subject to the participating lottery jurisdiction.

How many promotional entries does a ticket receive?

The Hoosier Lottery FAQ says that a $5 ticket provides five promotional entries in Indiana. It also says tickets may be entered upon purchase and must be entered within 90 days of the last draw on the ticket. Those are the verified Indiana terms and should not be generalized to every jurisdiction.

What is the Powerball Xs & Os tax treatment?

For U.S. federal tax purposes, lottery winnings are taxable income and must be reported, including winnings for which the payer does not issue Form W-2G. Regular federal gambling withholding is generally 24% when lottery winnings minus the wager exceed $5,000, subject to applicable withholding conditions.

Where do you claim a winning ticket?

Winning tickets must be redeemed in the state or jurisdiction where they were sold. Check the official instructions of that selling lottery for the applicable deadline and claim requirements. The verified information does not establish one cash-prize deadline for every participating jurisdiction.

When are the drawings held?

Drawings are held every Sunday at approximately 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Indiana's official game FAQ says ticket sales close no later than 8:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday. Players should confirm local instructions with the lottery selling the ticket.

Is there a responsible-play rule to follow?

Play only with money set aside for entertainment. The random logo draw, the published odds and the separate promotion should not be used as reasons to spend beyond that limit. No team choice or football knowledge changes the stated random selection process.