Mega Millions and Powerball Jackpots Combine For More Than $1 Billion
The combined total of the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots is worth more than $1 billion, giving lottery fans across the U.S. the chance to play for colossal amounts of cash five times a week.
Mega Millions’ grand prize has reached $650 million, while Powerball is not far behind on $485 million and could grow faster with an extra draw per week.
Mega Millions Already in Top Ten
The last time the Mega Millions jackpot was won was before Christmas on December 8, when two tickets from the same California location split $394 million.
It has been building steadily over the past three months and recently moved into the top 10 of all time.
To break into the top five, the jackpot will have to cross the $1 billion mark. There have been five previous occasions when the prize has reached 10 figures.
It happened most recently in the summer of 2023, going on to set a new Mega Millions record for the biggest win in the game’s history. A single ticket, sold in Florida and belonging to Saltines Holdings, LLC, landed the entire $1.602 billion pot.
Powerball on the Rise
The Powerball jackpot is on the verge of the half-a billion dollar mark after a run of drawings without a winner that stretches back to New Year’s Day.
The grand prize for January 1 stood at $824 million - the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot ever - and was won by a player from Michigan.
Powerball holds the record for paying out the largest lottery prize anywhere in the world, having awarded $2.04 billion to California resident Edwin Castro in November 2022.
Lotto America Jackpot Won
While the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots keep rising, another multi-state lottery did see a big winner on Monday, March 4. A Lotto America player from Minnesota banked $3.73 million after matching all the winning numbers.
Lotto America draws take place on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, just the same as Powerball. Mega Millions is held on Tuesdays and Fridays. Keep checking Powerball-MegaMillions.com to find out the winning numbers as they come in.
Published: Tuesday, March 5, 2024