Powerball adds third weekly drawing, Double-Play feature to give players more chances to win

Powerball is giving players a third chance to snare a jackpot each week.

Mondays are going to become Powerball drawing nights beginning Aug. 23. Currently, the multi-state lottery numbers are drawn on Wednesday and Saturday nights.

"This change will help us give our players exactly what they've told us they want -- larger, faster-growing jackpots," Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko said in a release. "We're also reminding our players that every ticket sold helps us generate money for the senior programs that older Pennsylvanians rely upon each and every day."

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But wait, there's more.

Players will also be able to add Double-Play to their ticket. It is a $1 optional feature that gives players another chance to win with their Powerball numbers in a separate drawing. Top cash prize in the Double-Play drawing is $10 million.

The game's basics are not changing. Players choose (or have the machine pick) five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. The Power Play add-on feature will continue for an additional $1 per play.

"By continuously innovating to meet our players' needs, we can keep lottery funds flowing to Pennsylvania seniors to help pay for services like prescription assistance, transportation and rent and property tax rebates," Svitko said.

The Double-Play drawing will be held after every Powerball drawing. The same ticket will be used for both, if the Double-Play feature is added.

The Double-Play drawing will not be televised, but it will be livestreamed on Powerball.com.

Shelly Stallsmith is a trends reporter for the York Daily Record. She can be reached at mstallsmith@ydr.com or followed on Twitter at @ShelStallsmith.