Powerball and Mega Millions Combine for More Than $1 Billion
The combined jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions add up to more than $1 billion, setting up one of the biggest weekends of the year for fans of the two multi-state lotteries.
Powerball Hits $600M
Powerball has been growing the faster out of the two, surging to $600 million on the back of 27 consecutive drawings without a winner. The latest chance to grab the jackpot came on Wednesday, but nobody matched all the numbers to land the $565 million on offer. The biggest winner on the night was a player from Minnesota who matched all five main numbers (just missing the Powerball) and added the Power Play option to pocket $2 million.
The last time the jackpot was won was on August 12, when an anonymous ticket holder from Illinois picked up $1.04 billion. They came forward to claim the prize a few weeks later and took the cash option of $450.5 million before taxes.
Mega Millions Crosses $400M
Mega Millions has been rolling for longer than Powerball, having not been won since someone from Florida banked $800 million on July 28. However, as Mega Millions is only drawn twice a week (and Powerball is thrice-weekly), there have been fewer draws (22) in the current Mega Millions jackpot run.
The Mega Millions jackpot is up to an estimated $403 million ahead of Friday night’s draw, putting it on course for another huge payout at some point before the end of the year. Mega Millions has not had a billion-dollar jackpot since changes were made to the game in April 2025. Those changes were designed to drive up the jackpot more quickly, so perhaps the moment is finally coming!
For now, Powerball is likely to continue climbing more quickly. With a larger current jackpot, cheaper cost to play ($2 vs $5) and one more draw per week, Powerball may push on towards the $1 billion mark in the next couple of weeks.
Powerball also has a larger pool of potential players after a version of the game launched in the UK this summer, opening up a market that is considerably larger than any single state.
The odds of winning the jackpot are similar for both Powerball and Mega Millions - at roughly 1 in 290 million. The only way to improve your chances is to play multiple lines, or perhaps make sure that you enter both lotteries! Mega Millions draws take place every Tuesday and Friday, while Powerball’s draw days are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
It promises to be an exciting time while both jackpots are flying high, so keep your eyes out for the latest winning numbers as soon as they are available.
