Powerball Jackpot This Weekend Is Second Largest In Last Nine Months

Saturday night’s Powerball jackpot is up to $350 million, making it the second largest Powerball jackpot since Oct. 23, 2024.

That jackpot was won for $478 million, and then March 29 of this year saw a $526.5 million winner. 

And the next time the Powerball eclipses that $526.5 million number, it will be for the first time since April 6, 2024, when a winning ticket worth $1.33 billion was sold in Oregon.

Can anyone say lotto fever?

At any rate, Saturday’s drawing will be the 24th since the last time a Powerball winner was crowned.

Wednesday night’s numbers — 2, 18, 19, 25, 35, and a red Powerball of 25 — yielded a Match 5 Power Play winner in Georgia. That ticket-buyer walked away with a cool $2 million.

Lottery Geeks estimates 11.7 million tickets were sold for Wednesday’s drawing.

Mega Friday

Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing — the seventh since the last winner was crowned — will be for $120 million.

Nobody won Tuesday’s drawing — numbers 22, 41, 42, 59, 69, and a gold Mega Ball of 17. No one matched all five white balls to hit a seven-figure score.

Lottery Geeks estimates 4.4 million tickets were sold.

Tickets for Mega Millions cost $5, while Powerball tickets cost $2, with most states offering the multiplier option for Powerball — which impacts any prize won except the jackpot — for an additional $1. Mega Millions comes with an automatic multiplier for any prize except the jackpot.

Both Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Tickets for both draw games are also sold in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, customers can buy tickets for Powerball, but not for Mega Millions.

All-time biggest jackpots

Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
3. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
4. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
5. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
6. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
7. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
9. $1.22 billion, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, won in California
10. $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey

And here’s the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:

1. $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
3. $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
4. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
5. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
6. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
7. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
8. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $621 million, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
10. $571.9 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, won in California