Shagadelic, Baby! Mega Millions And Powerball Combine For A Billion Bucks

Cue Dr. Evil, because the combined total for the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries have reached … one billion dollars.

Well, $1.03 billion to be more exact, and, of course, the famous scene has him saying “one million dollars,” but still. Cue him anyway.

So yes, it’s not every day there’s a billion or so bucks floating around the lottosphere, but — at least for the next few days — that’s now where we’re at.

Let’s start with the drawing that’s going off first — Mega Millions.

Friday night’s draw is for an estimated $403 million, and it will mark the 23rd drawing since the last winner was crowned. That was back on June 28, when a Florida ticket-buyer cashed in for $803 million.   

Tuesday’s drawing — numbers 11, 12, 15, 40, 66, and a gold Mega Ball of 17 — didn’t yield any millionaires, as nobody matched all five white balls.

Lottery Geeks estimates over 5.2 million tickets were sold for that draw.

Powerful

Meanwhile, Saturday night’s Powerball drawing will be the 28th since the last time the jackpot was won, when an Illinois ticket took down a $1.04 billion jackpot a little over two months ago.

Take down the one on Saturday, and you’ll walk away with an estimated $600 million (or a still even, but somehow less so, $246 million).

On Wednesday, the not-quite-winning numbers were 3, 34, 37, 42, 46, and a red Powerball of 20. 

Unlike in the Mega Millions, a ticket-buyer in Minnesota matched all five white balls and bought the multiplier to boot, netting a victory of $2 million.

Lottery Geeks estimates more than 15 million — or as a Mike Myers character might say, “15 milllllllllion” — tickets were sold for Wednesday’s drawing.

Tickets for Mega Millions cost $5 and Powerball tickets cost $2. Most states offer 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 and the U.K., 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. $1.82 billion, Powerball, Dec. 24, 2025, won in Arkansas
3. $1.79 billion, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025, won in Missouri and Texas
4. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
5. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
6. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
7. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
8. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
10. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon

Here is 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. $834.9 million, Powerball, Dec. 24, 2025, won in Arkansas
5. $820.6 million, Powerball, Sept. 6, 2025, won in Missouri and Texas
6. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
7. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
9. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
10. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine