The latest time to buy a Powerball ticket depends on the state and its time zone, but generally, ticket sales close about one to two hours before the drawing. The Powerball drawings occur at 10:59 p.m. ET on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Here are some general cutoff times:

• Eastern Time Zone states typically stop ticket sales around 9:45 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET.
• Central Time Zone states usually close sales around 8:59 p.m. CT.
• Mountain and Pacific Time Zones often have earlier cutoffs, sometimes as early as 6:45 p.m. PT.

Some states have specific cutoff times, for example:

• Pennsylvania and New Jersey: 9:59 p.m. ET
• Delaware: 9:45 p.m. ET
• New York: 10:00 p.m. ET

In Arkansas, sales are suspended one hour before the draw, so around 9:59 p.m. ET for the 10:59 p.m. ET drawing. It's important to check local state lottery rules because cutoff times vary by state, and some states like Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, and Utah do not participate in Powerball. In summary, you can usually play Powerball until 1-2 hours before the drawing time of 10:59 p.m. ET, but the exact cutoff depends on your state's lottery rules and time zone.