Mega Millions and Powerball Jackpots Now Worth $1.9 Billion
Something new and exciting is happening in the history of US lotteries as both Powerball and Mega Millions are worth over $800 million at the same time. While the Mega Millions top prize could make the next winner a billionaire, the Powerball jackpot is also very close to reaching the 10-figure mark. So how come they reached these amounts?
Mega Millions Jackpot Not Won Since December Last Year
Now worth $1.1 billion, the Mega Millions jackpot has been rolling over 30 times and it was last won on December 8, 2023. There were two winning entries and they will have to equally share the grand prize. While it is quite common for more than one participant to match all the winning numbers, this lucky draw was rather unusual as both tickets were purchased at the same gas station in California. The prize hasn’t been claimed yet, so at the moment we can’t tell how this happened. The California Lottery is subject to public disclosure laws, so once the prize is claimed, we will find out whether this was a mistake or whether there were two family members, friends, or partners involved who chose to enter with the same set of numbers.
In the previous Mega Millions draw, which took place on March 22, although no one managed to pocket the grand prize, there were six winning entries which matched the five white balls. One of them was sold in Virginia and it was worth $3 million as the Megaplier number was 3X. It looks like adding the Megaplier option can significantly increase your non-jackpot winnings, so why not add it to your ticket for an extra $1?
The other five tickets were purchased in California, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, and Texas.
With the Mega Millions jackpot amount increasing, more and more participants want to get involved. Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium says:
“Lottery fever continues to spread throughout the country. Large jackpots provide entertainment and winnings for our players nationwide while contributing to the beneficiary programs funded by each lottery. We appreciate our players and dedicated retailers, and we encourage everyone to play responsibly.”
Powerball Grand Prize Ranks High in Top 10
Currently, the Powerball jackpot is $800 million and it occupies the sixth place in the top 10 largest grand prizes in the history of the game. It hasn’t been won since the start of the year, on January 1, when a winning ticket purchased in Michigan matched all six winning numbers. The prize hasn’t been claimed yet and the Michigan state does not allow multi-state lottery winners to remain anonymous.
The previous Powerball draw, which happened on March 23, brought cash prizes to more than 1.9 million players. The second-tier prize, worth $1 million, was won by five entries. The lucky tickets were purchased in California, Florida, Indiana, Texas, and Washington. But prizes in the lower-tier categories had even more winners—38 tickets won $50,000 each for matching four numbers and the Powerball, and 14 tickets won $100,000 with Power Play.
Get Involved Now
Every week, you have five chances to win, with Powerball draws taking place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 PM EST and Mega Millions draws being held on Tuesday and Friday evenings at 11:00 PM ET.
Whether you’re more tempted to become a Mega Millions billionaire or “settle” for becoming a Powerball multi-millionaire, you can enter both lotteries online from many locations, or pick up a ticket from your nearest retailer.
Published: Monday, March 25, 2024Updated: Monday, March 25, 2024