How Do Power Play and the Megaplier Work?

Power Play (Powerball) and the Megaplier (Mega Millions) are optional $1-per-line add-ons that multiply your non-jackpot winnings — 2x–10x for Power Play, 2x–5x for the Megaplier. They never touch the jackpot, and the Match 5 prize is handled specially.

Power Play (Powerball)

For an extra $1 per line, Power Play multiplies every non-jackpot prize by a number drawn before the main draw:

Two catches: the jackpot is never multiplied, and the Match 5 prize (normally $1 million) becomes a flat $2 million with Power Play — it is not multiplied by the drawn number, so 5x doesn't make it $5 million.

The Megaplier (Mega Millions)

Same concept, different game. For an extra $1 the Megaplier multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x (there's no 10x). As with Power Play, the jackpot is never affected.

All Star Bonus (Lotto America)

Lotto America's equivalent is the All Star Bonus, an optional $1 add-on that multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x.

Is the add-on worth it?

Mathematically, the multiplier raises the expected value of your lower-tier prizes — but you're paying an extra dollar for it, and the whole ticket is still negative expected value. Whether to add it is a preference, not a strategy. If you want to see how the multiplier moves a game's value per dollar, that's exactly what our expected value math captures, and each national game page shows the figure with the multiplier noted.