1.9 billion dollars at stake this Monday, November 7, 2022 in the United States: a sum that makes many Americans dream and… some French people will also be able to participate.
Record for the Powerball jackpot put into play in the United States this Monday, November 7: 1.9 billion dollars (the same amount in euros) are up for grabs in the American lottery. To pocket the bet you will have to be lucky, because the odds are dizzying: each ticket has only one chance in 292 million of having the winning numbers and allowing its owner to become a billionaire. To illustrate this point, a statistician from Harvard University insists on the facts: Mark Glickman interviewed by CBS states that “even if you buy 50 tickets, it is almost certain that you will still lose and not win the jackpot”. He even added that getting one of the smaller sums like 4 dollars was low.
How can the French try their luck?
Never mind the statistics; To win, you have to play first. And the French who respect the rules of the game will even be able to participate. Indeed, the rules are clear, if it is essential to be on American soil to validate its grid, no prohibition is posed as for the nationality of the players. So, if you are a tourist on American soil, nothing prevents you from trying your luck. Additional difficulty as reported by the Parisiansome states in the United States do not allow lottery games such as Alabama, Wyoming, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii, Arkansas, Mississippi, Nevada and Utah.
However the rules of procedure are clear as reported by the site of The Dispatch : “No one has the right to sell lottery tickets by email or on the internet outside the United States”. It is therefore necessary to be wary of certain companies which circumvent this ban offering to play Powerball online, from any country. In fact, they explain sending “local representatives” to buy a ticket for you in one of the points of sale located in the United States, an activity which does not seem very legal. Especially since nothing assures you of the reliability of the company that asks you for your bank details and above all you have no guarantee of obtaining the slightest gain in the event of a miracle.
The Powerball jackpot subject to tax in the United States
Be careful, the importance of the Powerball gain is also to be qualified. If in France winnings from games of chance are not taxable, it is not the same thing in the United States. If by some miracle the jackpot were won, two taxes would reduce its size, a first federal tax of 39.6% and another tax which varies according to the State of victory going up to 8.82% for the State of New York. This first rate applies only to Americans, if you are a foreigner, the American tax authorities will not retain 39.6% but 44.6% of the jackpot. For the second rate which varies according to the State of purchase of the ticket, only two States apply this levy to non-US resident winners: Arizona and Maryland as reported BFM TV.