Mega Millions Lump-Sum Option And Powerball Annuity Payout Almost The Same Size This Weekend

With Wednesday’s Powerball swing-and-miss following Tuesday’s jackpot-free Mega Millions drawing, the potential winnings continue to escalate heading into the weekend.

The Powerball streak now stands at 12 games in a row without anyone going 6-for-6, bringing Saturday’s estimated jackpot to $171 million (or $81.4 million if a winner takes the lump-sum cash payment).

But the real prize is the Mega Millions jackpot, which, after 16 straight winner-less drawings across nearly two months, has reached $358 million (cash option: $169.7 million) for Friday night.

When the lump-sum payment for one game is almost identical to the annuity option for the other, it’s easy to predict which draw lottery is going to attract the majority of the jackpot-chasing public’s attention.

Feeling like a million bucks

There was one million-dollar winner in Powerball Wednesday: a player in California who matched all five white balls (23, 34, 37, 50, and 58) but not the red Powerball (7).

The potential jackpot in that drawing was an estimated $154 million.

By Lottery Geeks’ estimates, about 10.4 million tickets were purchased for that drawing — up significantly from the estimated 7.4 million on Monday.

Both numbers, however, are well short of where Mega Millions sales have been lately. For Tuesday’s draw with a $331 million jackpot, an estimated 16.8 tickets were sold.

Tickets for either lottery cost $2, and in most states players have the option, for an additional $1, to play the Megaplier or Power Play prize multiplier.

Both lotteries sell tickets in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Powerball and Mega Millions entries are also sold in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while only Powerball is available in Puerto Rico.

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. $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey
10. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California

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. $558.1 million, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California