The Lotto Matrix: Details Of Another Powerball Win And More

First things first

Above all, a thank you to cohort Jeff Edelstein for manning the Lotto Matrix controls the previous two Fridays while I ventured about Japan and South Korea. Now then, on to the show …

How much is Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot drawing worth? Mega Millions has returned to the land of the nine-figure jackpots with $110 million up for grabs following two rollovers since last week. The cash option is worth $49.2 million for the impulse purchase crowd.

Tuesday night’s drawing provided one $2 million winner as a ticket in New York matched all five numbers without the Mega Ball. Last Friday night’s drawing produced the 11th $200,000 winner of the year for matching four numbers and the Mega Ball coupled with a 10x Megaplier.

How much is Saturday’s Powerball jackpot drawing worth? The Powerball jackpot is a pedestrian $35 million as players are hoping for a second straight Saturday night of lotto magic. Drawings Monday and Wednesday nights saw two tickets in Texas match all five non-Powerball numbers, with Wednesday’s winner claiming $2 million with the Power Play option.

The cash option for Saturday night’s jackpot is $15.9 million.

Powerball jackpot details

Last week’s $231 million jackpot claimed by a Delaware player marked the third for Powerball this year and furthered an early 2026 patter in which jackpots have cleared $200 million and failed to reach $300 million. There has been only one “Big Boy” drawing above $250 million in the calendar year, a $251 million jackpot won March 2 by an Arkansas player.

The winning ticket for last Saturday night’s drawing was sold in Middletown, which is relatively close to the Maryland border. It was the first Powerball jackpot won in Delaware since 2016 and the 11th overall in state history.

“We’re incredibly excited to see a jackpot-winning Powerball ticket sold right here in Delaware,” said Helene Keeley, director of the Delaware Lottery in a statement released by Powerball. “Wins of this magnitude are life-changing and create a lot of excitement for our players and retailers alike. We look forward to congratulating the winner and remind all players to enjoy lottery games responsibly.”

This is not good procrastination, people

The Lotto Matrix is putting out the word to Texas players: There is a winning Texas Lottery ticket worth $78 million that has yet to be claimed. The deadline to make such a claim is May 14, which is less than five weeks away.

The ticket for the Nov. 15 drawing was sold at Gordon’s Bait & Tackle in Brownsville and matched the numbers 7, 17, 23, 28, 39, and 48. This was the first winning ticket for a jackpot following the Sept. 1 regulatory switch from the now-disbanded Texas Lottery Commission to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The ticket has a cash option of $44 million. Anyone who believes they have the winning ticket must call the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to schedule an appointment and make an appearance at its Austin offices.

Hickson joins Merv Game Studio

Merv Game Studio announced Monday that Steve Hickson, considered one of the pioneers of iLottery, has joined the company as an investor and strategic advisor.

Hickson, who founded Sideplay Entertainment, has been developing digital lottery content since 2002. Sideplay became the primary provider of eInstant games for the United Kingdom’s National Lottery, and the company’s North American portfolio is highlighted by being a leading content partner for the Pennsylvania Lottery.

“Steve built SidePlay into one of the best independent eInstant studios in the industry, and that’s exactly what we are doing at Merv Digital,” said Merv Huber, founder & CEO of Merv Digital Solutions. “To have someone of his caliber choose to invest in Merv Game Studio and lend his expertise to what we’re building — is a validation of our team and a blueprint for future success. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome him.”

Merv Game Studio, which launched last year, had previously named Harpreet Garcha as chief growth officer in February. The studio is expected to launch its first commercial titles across multiple state lotteries before the end of the year.

Still waiting for a first big winner

It is now 47 drawings and counting without a grand prize or second prize winner for Millionaire for Life. For those who like the glass half-full, the four drawings this week provided 28 third-prize winners who claimed $7,500 for matching four numbers and the Millionaire ball.

Estimated ticket sales continue to average more than $2 million daily, though April’s pace is currently tracking to be slightly slower than March’s.

Newsworthy Nuggets

Red Bull not the only thing that’ll give you wings: James Milby, a longtime scratch-off player in Kentucky, turned a trip to grab a Red Bull at the South Green Market in the town of Glasgow into a life-changing event.

Milby has been playing the state’s Fast Play for less than a year and took a flyer on the $20 Big Money Doubler. The game has a series of instant cash prizes but also a rolling jackpot within the Fast Play series of games. Milby scanned his ticket and realized he was a winner, but it took some convincing for his wife regarding just how much he won.

“I made him take me back to the store. I’ve got to see it for myself,” she told lottery officials.

“I dinged it up on the machine and took a picture,” James added. “I knew she’d never believe me!”

The $551,151 payout included the maximum $250,000 bonus awarded for Fast Play games. Lottery officials said it was just the second time the $250,000 bonus paid out.

Where is the biggest active individual state lotto jackpot? The more some things change, the more they stay the same. The top five state-run lottery jackpots before the aforementioned trip to Asia are still the top five jackpots.

Texas continues to be the runaway leader for largest jackpot at $38.5 million, and its cash option of $21 million would also lead all comers. Indiana ($18.8 million) and Massachusetts ($15.05 million) again nail down the other podium spots for the weekend.

Florida has pipped Oregon‘s Megabucks for fourth with a $14.5 million jackpot available Saturday night. The Beaver State has a tenuous hold on fifth with its $11.1 million jackpot considering California has a $10 million prize up for grabs, and the Golden State usually tacks on $1 million per rollover.

Another three rollovers have swelled the Lotto America jackpot to $21.52 million, with Saturday’s scheduled drawing No. 106 since a winning ticket was sold in South Dakota for a $4 million jackpot last Aug. 6. The cash option for the multi-state lottery is $9.79 million.

Until next week, dream big, check your numbers, keep your tickets where you can find them, and play responsibly!