Powerball, Mega Millions Syncing Up This Weekend

“Same same but different” is a term used widely in Thailand, and it means … well, it basically means “same same but different.”

Like, if you’re shopping at the night market in Chiang Mai and you come across a Rolex watch being sold for $10 … same same but different. 

And this Labor Day weekend, we have a bit of same same but different going on with the nation’s two lotteries: Friday night’s Mega Millions is set to go off for an estimated $177 million, while Saturday’s Powerball is currently at $173 million.

So yes. Same same but different. What’s $4 million among friends?

Let’s start with the Mega Millions drawing, which rolled over after nobody won Tuesday night’s affair. The numbers there were 1, 22, 51, 61, 63, and a gold Mega ball of 17.

Nobody won the jackpot, and nobody became a millionaire by matching all five white balls. Whomp-whomp. (Or, in Thai, because why not: Pæ̀w.)

Lottery Geeks estimates 4.7 million tickets were sold for Tuesday’s drawing.

Friday’s draw will be 11th since the last time a winner was crowned, back on July 28 when a ticket-buyer in Florida cashed in for $800 million.

Power up

Meanwhile, no one won Wednesday’s Powerball (numbers 3, 10, 29, 58, 64, and a red Powerball of 14).

There was, however, one lucky duck out in California who hit all five white balls and took home $1 million.

Lottery Geeks estimates roughly 10.1 million tickets were sold for that drawing, which was the ninth drawing since an Illinois player won a whopping $1.04 billion on Aug. 12.

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 Million