BOISE, Idaho ÔÇô Powerball, the most widely played lottery game in Idaho and North America, is set to undergo significant changes to the game structure and price this weekend after Saturday night's $66 million draw. The changes include creating better odds, bigger starting jackpots and creating more million dollar winning experiences.

"For many years, players have been asking for more million dollar winning experiences while maintaining the ability to continue to play for large, multi-million dollar jackpots," explained Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director. "Starting this Sunday, we'll set out on a course to do just that, create more millionaires in Idaho. If these changes had been in place over the past two years, the Idaho Lottery would have created seven more millionaires."

The Powerball changes will begin immediately after the draw closes on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 7:55 p.m. Mountain Time. The Idaho Lottery will suspend sales on Powerball for approximately eight hours while the transition to the upgraded version of Powerball occurs. By 4:00 a.m. Mountain Time on Sunday, January 15, 2012, Powerball sales will resume. Nationally, and in Idaho, once the transition is complete, the new price of a single Powerball ticket will be $2 per play. A Powerball PowerPlay ticket will cost $3 per play.

Ten advance draw tickets for Powerball have been unavailable since December 15, 2011 as the Idaho Lottery began preparing for the transition. After completing the changes, the multi-draw feature for Powerball will also be reinstated. Beginning Sunday morning, players who would like to purchase Powerball for ten advance draws will once again be able to do so.

The most significant prize upgrade will occur when players match only the first five numbers and not the Powerball itself. This "Match 5" prize level is currently $200,000, but beginning with the first draw on January 18, 2012, that prize will become an automatic $1,000,000. Players who select the PowerPlay option will win $2,000,000 for a "Match 5" prize. The complete prize table is below:

NEW POWERBALL PRIZE PAYOUT TABLE*

MATCH	PRIZE	POWERPLAY	ODDS
Five White + PowerBall	JACKPOT	N/A	1: 175,223,510
Five White	$1,000,000	$2,000,000	1: 5,153,633
Four White + PowerBall	$10,000	$40,000	1: 648,976
Four White	$100	$200	1: 19,088
Three White + PowerBall	$100	$200	1: 12,245
Three White	$7	$14	1: 360
Two White + PowerBall	$7	$14	1: 706
One White + Mega Ball	$4	$12	1: 111
Mega Ball	$4	$12	1: 55

*This table will become effective with the Powerball draw on January 18, 2012.

Since the $200,000 "Match 5" prize was introduced in the Fall of 2005, Idaho has had 36 winners. Idaho has also had ten Powerball PowerPlay "Match 5" winners, seven of which have won $1,000,000.

Additional changes to the game include a reduction in the number of different Powerballs from the current 39 to 35, improving the odds of winning to 1 in 31.8 and the overall odds of winning jackpot improve to 1 in 175.2 million. Jackpots will now start at $40 million and increase by a guaranteed minimum of $10 million per draw until it is won.

These game changes only apply to Powerball. Mega Millions, Hot Lotto, and Wild Card, Idaho's other multi-state jackpot draw games, remain unchanged.

For more information about the upcoming enhancements to Powerball please visit https://www.idaholottery.com/games/draw/powerball

# # #