Powerball Powers Up To $240M, Mega Millions Not Worth Dorothy’s Slippers

Powerball is powering up, with Wednesday’s jackpot sitting at an estimated $240 million, with a $107.4 million cash prize.

And while it pales in comparison to some of the bigger jackpots in recent memory, if someone wins the grand prize Wednesday, it would be the third-largest Powerball hit since last April’s $1.326 billion victory.

The two highest wins since then were the $256 million won in New York on Dec. 7, and the $478.2 million scored in October in Georgia.

Monday’s numbers — 17, 34, 46, 66, and 67, and the red Powerball of 14 — did not yield any new millionaires, as no tickets matched the five white balls. This was the 13th straight Powerball drawing in which the jackpot rolled over.

Lottery Geeks estimates about 9.7 million tickets were sold for Monday’s drawing.

If I only had a brain

Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing is up to an estimated $62 million, with a $27.7 million cash prize.

And while that $27.7 million is nothing to sneeze at, know this: It’s still not enough to get back to Kansas, as Dorothy’s ruby slippers — the ones worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz — recently sold at auction for $28 million.

Click those heels.

Meanwhile, last Friday’s Mega Millions drawing — numbers 20, 42, 46, 59, 69 and a gold Mega Ball of 19 — also saw the sum total of zero people hitting all five white balls. No millionaires, in other words.

Lottery Geeks estimates some 9.9 million tickets were sold for the drawing.

Tickets for either lottery cost $2, with most states offering the multiplier option — which impacts any prize won except the jackpot — for an additional $1.

Both Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama (where legislators are considering allowing lottery play), 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