Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Mega Millions Jackpot Now $865M; Powerball Up to $730M
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
January 19, 2021

Share

DES MOINES, Iowa — Lottery players will have another shot Tuesday night at the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history.

The Mega Millions top prize climbed to an estimated $865 million, the biggest jackpot in more than two years. Powerball, the other lottery game offered in most of the U.S., isn’t far behind at $730 million for a drawing Wednesday night.

It’s the first time both lottery jackpots have topped $700 million. The biggest prize was a $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016.

No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since Sept. 15, allowing the prize to grow larger and larger over four months. The last Powerball jackpot winner was a day later, on Sept. 16.

Such big jackpots are rare, but both games rely on incredibly long odds to generate attention and increase sales. For Mega Millions, the odds of matching all six numbers is one in 302.5 million, and for Powerball it’s one in 292.2 million.

The prizes listed are for winners who choose an annuity option, paid over 30 years. Winners almost always opt for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $638.8 million and $546 million for Powerball.

Those prizes also would be subject to federal taxes, and most states would take a cut as well.

Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is offered in Puerto Rico.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Voting Rights Under Fire in Texas: Over a Million Purged From Rolls, ACLU Warns

DON'T MISS

Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins

DON'T MISS

Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home

DON'T MISS

Labor Day Quiz: What Did Elvis Do Before He Was the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’?

DON'T MISS

Why Black Students Are Still Disciplined at Higher Rates: Takeaways From AP’s Report

DON'T MISS

Top Brazilian Judge Orders Suspension of X Platform in Brazil Amid Feud With Musk

DON'T MISS

Trump Reverses Course, Opposes Florida Abortion Rights Measure After Conservative Backlash

DON'T MISS

How a Real Estate Boom Drove Political Corruption in Los Angeles

DON'T MISS

Big Red Church Hosts Forum on Palestine on Saturday Night

DON'T MISS

Palestinian TikTok Star Who Shared Details of Gaza Life Under Siege Is Killed by Israeli Airstrike

UP NEXT

Harris Surges Ahead of Trump in Poll, Gains Support from Women and Hispanics

UP NEXT

California Treasurer Fiona Ma Cleared of Sexual Harassment Allegations

UP NEXT

Grand Canyon Visitors Move to Hotels Outside the Park After Unprecedented Breaks in Water Pipeline

UP NEXT

Latinas Are the New Driving Force in US Economy: Study

UP NEXT

Arlington Cemetery Official Was ‘Pushed Aside’ in Trump Staff Altercation but Won’t Press Charges

UP NEXT

FAA Grounds SpaceX After Rocket Falls Over in Flames at Landing

UP NEXT

How Much Will Interest Rates Drop? Wells Fargo Expert Predicts a Sharp Decline by December

UP NEXT

Trump Claims God as His Ally After Surviving Assassination Attempt

UP NEXT

French Prosecutors Say Telegram Messaging App CEO Has Been Freed From Custody, Will Appear in Court

UP NEXT

Navy Recruiting Rebounds, but It Will Miss Its Target to Get Sailors Through Boot Camp

Labor Day Quiz: What Did Elvis Do Before He Was the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’?

11 hours ago

Why Black Students Are Still Disciplined at Higher Rates: Takeaways From AP’s Report

11 hours ago

Top Brazilian Judge Orders Suspension of X Platform in Brazil Amid Feud With Musk

22 hours ago

Trump Reverses Course, Opposes Florida Abortion Rights Measure After Conservative Backlash

22 hours ago

How a Real Estate Boom Drove Political Corruption in Los Angeles

24 hours ago

Big Red Church Hosts Forum on Palestine on Saturday Night

1 day ago

Palestinian TikTok Star Who Shared Details of Gaza Life Under Siege Is Killed by Israeli Airstrike

1 day ago

Valley PBS Taps Mollison to Be New President/CEO

1 day ago

Farber Campus Opening: ‘Where Students’ Dreams Can Flourish and Not Wither’

1 day ago

Visalia Rawhide and City Agree on Terms to Upgrade Stadium

1 day ago

Voting Rights Under Fire in Texas: Over a Million Purged From Rolls, ACLU Warns

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the removal of over one million voters from state rolls since 2020, sparking concern among voting rights ad...

6 hours ago

6 hours ago

Voting Rights Under Fire in Texas: Over a Million Purged From Rolls, ACLU Warns

9 hours ago

Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins

A black poodle's face with his tongue sticking out
10 hours ago

Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home

11 hours ago

Labor Day Quiz: What Did Elvis Do Before He Was the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’?

11 hours ago

Why Black Students Are Still Disciplined at Higher Rates: Takeaways From AP’s Report

22 hours ago

Top Brazilian Judge Orders Suspension of X Platform in Brazil Amid Feud With Musk

22 hours ago

Trump Reverses Course, Opposes Florida Abortion Rights Measure After Conservative Backlash

24 hours ago

How a Real Estate Boom Drove Political Corruption in Los Angeles

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend