U.S. Powerball · Hawaii guide · Updated August 13, 2026
Not from a Hawaii retailer. A Hawaii resident can still buy Powerball while physically visiting a participating jurisdiction, but Hawaii is different from the mainland holdout States: there is no border to cross. Where you travel determines the ticket, claim rules and possible source-State tax; Hawaii residence can then create a second tax layer.
The short answer
No authorized Hawaii retailer sells Powerball. Hawaii does not operate a State Lottery. But residence is not the same thing as ticket location: Powerball says a person from a non-selling jurisdiction may buy while visiting a selling jurisdiction from a licensed or authorized retailer, subject to that jurisdiction's legal-age rules.
There is no Hawaii Lottery retailer network, no Hawaii Powerball playslip and no Hawaii Lottery claim office. A website calling something “Hawaii Powerball” does not make it an authorized Hawaii Lottery product.
If you are physically in a participating jurisdiction, you can buy under that Lottery's rules. The ticket then belongs to that selling jurisdiction — even after you fly back to Hawaii.
No border to cross
Any participating U.S. jurisdiction can be the purchase State when a Hawaii resident is genuinely there and follows that Lottery's rules. The examples below are practical mainland travel comparisons — not a claim that one is universally the nearest or best place to buy.
Online tickets
There is no Hawaii Lottery website or Hawaii Lottery app selling Powerball. Another State's online system is not a general workaround for a Hawaii resident sitting at home.
Hawaii has no State Lottery, so there is no State-run online Powerball purchase service for Hawaii residents.
Powerball says some lotteries sell online only to residents of that jurisdiction and restrict Internet or mail sales across jurisdictional borders.
A third-party app or website should only be discussed after checking authorization with the actual selling Lottery. A marketing claim is not the same thing as Lottery approval.
If the ticket wins
The purchase State does not disappear when the winner flies home. Powerball says the prize must be claimed in the jurisdiction where the winning ticket was purchased, while Hawaii can still tax its resident on income from outside Hawaii.
Claim deadline, proof of ownership, public-disclosure rules and cash-versus-annuity election procedures are controlled by the Lottery that sold the ticket.
Hawaii does not get to replace the winning Lottery's disclosure law just because the winner lives in Hawaii. Powerball says anonymity rules vary by jurisdiction.
Ticket State + Hawaii residence
There can be three separate calculations: federal tax, the ticket State's rules and Hawaii's resident income tax. Hawaii Revised Statutes §235-4 says the State income tax applies to the entire income of a resident without regard to source in Hawaii.
Qualifying Lottery winnings are generally subject to 24% federal withholding, but that is not final federal tax. The estimator uses the 2026 progressive brackets.
California Lottery winnings have a California exclusion; Oregon publishes 8% State withholding on qualifying prizes. Other selling jurisdictions can work differently.
Hawaii residents are taxed on income regardless of source. Hawaii's progressive 2026 schedule reaches an 11% top marginal rate, and §235-55 can provide a limited credit for qualifying tax paid to another State.
Choose a ticket State, use the current stored MLL cash option or enter your own. California and Oregon have enough verified source material here for a specific published ticket-State layer; other States remain “review required.”
Law and policy
Powerball is sold through participating lotteries. Hawaii does not currently have that State Lottery structure, and Hawaii law contains specific gambling and lottery restrictions. The accurate explanation is therefore legal and institutional — not a folklore claim that one industry or group simply “blocked Powerball.”
Current result: no Hawaii State Lottery, no in-State Powerball sales.
The other giant jackpot
Hawaii does not sell Mega Millions either. The same travel principle applies: a Hawaii resident can buy while physically visiting a participating U.S. jurisdiction and following that Lottery's rules. Mega Millions also says online options generally require the buyer to be physically within the participating jurisdiction, with residency rules varying by Lottery.
There is no Hawaii State Lottery network selling Mega Millions tickets in the islands.
Mega Millions says a winning ticket must be redeemed in the State or jurisdiction where it was purchased, so claim location remains important after the winner returns to Hawaii.
Frequently asked questions
The practical questions are different here because there is no quick drive into a neighboring Lottery State.
Powerball tickets are not sold by retailers in Hawaii because Hawaii does not operate a State Lottery. A Hawaii resident may buy a genuine Powerball ticket while physically visiting a participating U.S. jurisdiction from a retailer licensed or authorized there, subject to that jurisdiction's legal-age and purchase rules.
No. As of August 13, 2026, Hawaii does not operate a State Lottery and Powerball is not sold in the State. Hawaii law continues to restrict lottery promotion and sales, although lawmakers have introduced proposals to study or authorize lottery and gaming activity.
Yes. Powerball's official FAQ says people from jurisdictions where Powerball is not sold may buy tickets while visiting a selling jurisdiction from a licensed or authorized retailer if they meet that jurisdiction's legal-age rules.
Hawaii has no land-border State, so there is no simple cross-border answer. The practical purchase State is usually the participating jurisdiction a Hawaii resident is actually visiting. California and Oregon are examples of mainland States that sell Powerball, but the ticket must be purchased under the selling Lottery's rules.
Do not assume another State's Lottery website or app can be used from Hawaii. Powerball says some lotteries sell online only to residents of that jurisdiction and that Internet or mail sales across jurisdictional borders are restricted. Hawaii has no official State Lottery online Powerball service.
The winning ticket is validated and claimed under the rules of the Lottery jurisdiction that sold it. Federal tax applies, the ticket State's tax or withholding rules may apply, and Hawaii then considers the winner's Hawaii residence separately.
Powerball says prizes must be claimed in the jurisdiction where the winning ticket was purchased. A Hawaii resident therefore follows the claim procedure and deadline of the State or jurisdiction that issued the ticket rather than claiming it in Hawaii.
Hawaii Revised Statutes section 235-4 says Hawaii income tax applies to the entire income of a resident without regard to source in the State. That means an out-of-State lottery win can still enter a Hawaii resident's Hawaii income-tax calculation.
Potentially. Hawaii Revised Statutes section 235-55 provides a resident credit for qualifying income tax paid to another state on income derived from sources outside Hawaii, subject to statutory limits. The credit is based on qualifying tax, so claim withholding should not automatically be treated as the final two-State result.
California's Franchise Tax Board says California does not tax winnings from the California Lottery, including Powerball and Mega Millions. A Hawaii resident can still have Hawaii residence tax to consider even when the California Lottery prize itself is excluded from California income tax.
Yes. Oregon Lottery's current claim guidance says it automatically withholds 8% Oregon State tax on prizes of $1,500 or more, as well as 24% federal tax on qualifying prizes over $5,000. A Hawaii resident must then review Hawaii tax and any qualifying Hawaii credit rather than simply adding both State percentages together.
Hawaii does not have the State Lottery structure required to sell Powerball, and Hawaii's criminal code contains specific lottery and gambling restrictions. The legal position is broader than a single Powerball rule: joining the game would require Hawaii to authorize and establish an appropriate lottery framework.
Yes, the law could change, but it has not changed yet. HB1463 in 2025 proposed a State-lottery feasibility study with a report before the 2026 session, but the Legislature's archived history shows the bill only reached introduction and referral and was not enacted. Hawaii still had no State Lottery at this page's August 13, 2026 check.
No. Hawaii is not one of Mega Millions' participating U.S. jurisdictions. Mega Millions says its game is sold by 47 participating lotteries and that in-state or online purchase rules are controlled by those lotteries. A Hawaii resident can buy while physically visiting a participating jurisdiction under that Lottery's rules.
Primary sources
These official federal, State and Lottery sources were checked on August 13, 2026. Rules can change, especially where a winning ticket is bought outside the winner's State of residence.
This page is for general informational and educational use. It is not personalized tax, legal, investment or financial advice. Cross-State Lottery claims can depend on ticket jurisdiction, residency, filing status, deductions, credits, entities and the rules in force when the prize is claimed.