The Lotto Matrix: Still-Growing Powerball And Florida Shenanigans

First Things First

How much is Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot drawing worth? We’re back at the base jackpot of $50 million after a New Jersey player claimed Tuesday night’s $90 million jackpot. The four drawings between grand prize payouts were the fewest this year as the Garden State gambler became the sixth winner of the Mega Millions jackpot in 2025.

Interestingly, it was the third time the jackpot was won without anyone missing only the Mega Ball. That also extended the dry spell of no one claiming the top second prize to four drawings. Tuesday night also marked the fewest amount of winners with four numbers and the Mega Ball when a jackpot hit this year: Two tickets paid out $60,000.

How much is Saturday’s Powerball jackpot drawing worth? Our “Grown Man” stayed diligent during the Thanksgiving break for this space, and another pair of midweek rollovers put Saturday night’s jackpot at a robust $820 million. The cash option for those with impulse control issues is a healthy $378.2 million.

Powerball is trending in the opposite direction from Mega for close calls. There has been at least one ticket matching five non-Power Ball numbers for 10 consecutive drawings. That is the longest streak of the calendar year and has provided 22 winners in that span.

There were six such tickets for seven-figure payouts from Monday and Wednesday, with a player in Kentucky winning $2 million Wednesday night thanks to the Power Play option.

November Napkin Math, Mega Millions Edition

Once the spotlight faded following the $980 million jackpot being hit in Georgia for the Nov. 14 drawing, the four ensuing drawings were largely uneventful. Someone from the Peach State matched five numbers in the first drawing after the jackpot, but that was also the last top-tier second prize awarded for November. There were only five such winners for the month’s eight drawings, but the Megaplier contributed to $18 million in payouts on those tickets.

The last three drawings of November saw no tickets with five numbers and only a dozen containing four and the Mega Ball. The eight drawings for November paid out a combined $21.9 million in top second-tier prizes. Five of the 130 tickets with four numbers and the Mega Ball contained the 10x Megaplier, the most of any month since the changeover to the $5 ticket in April.

November Napkin Math, Powerball Edition

Top second-tier payouts for Powerball in November were $4.8 million higher than October at $34.45 million due to the higher volume of people who matched four numbers and the Power Ball across the 13 drawings.

That group totaled 234 compared to the 168 in October, and 60% more (56) ticked the power play option to trigger the multiplier. Six people had $250,000 payouts with the 5x multiplier for the Nov. 5 and 17 drawings.

There were again 17 near misses with people matching five numbers without the Power Ball, but the $18 million in payouts was $1 million lower than October as only one person checked off the Power Play option for a $2 million payout.

Why would you (allegedly) do that, Florida Man?

Keith O’Connor, Tampa’s code enforcement director and husband of former Tampa police chief Mary O’Connor, was fired from his job Wednesday after a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation confirmed he cashed a co-worker’s $20,000 winning lottery ticket.

O’Connor’s co-worker Aubrey Pierce was the winner of the ticket, but he realized cashing the ticket would result in all of the prize money being seized to cover outstanding child support payments. O’Connor allegedly agreed to cash the ticket to avoid the state intercepting the funds.

This arrangement was not known until August, when Pierce was arrested on multiple charges that included grand theft and bribery by a public servant. Detectives scanning Pierce’s text messages for that investigation discovered the lottery ticket scheme and found “conclusive evidence… to help an employee evade legitimate financial obligations.” The State Attorney’s Office in a memo said O’Connor’s conduct was “suggestive of theft.”

The State Attorney’s Office, however, declined to file criminal charges, citing “insufficient evidence for a successful prosecution.” O’Connor’s attorney told FOX 13 Tampa Bay the memo was a “hatchet job,” saying the city was looking for a reason to fire him.

A bright spot in a bleak season

As a life-long suffering New York Jets fan who has not seen his team play in the Super Bowl, let alone win it, I am glad someone has risen above the decades-long misery the franchise has provided.

Hector Torres was one of 20 people selected by the New Jersey Lottery as part of its “Another Millionaire” promotion to attend the Jets game against the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday. Torres, who was a VIP Club member, gained eligibility by purchasing a Jersey Cash 5 with the XTRA add-on purchased in October.

At halftime, Torres went down to field level as part of the promotion and was the winner of a $1 million prize when his number matched the random one selected.

“I don’t know why, but right away I felt it,” Torres told New Jersey Lottery officials. “It was surreal, being there in the stadium at halftime, all these eyes on you. When it came down to it (the winning number being drawn), I couldn’t believe it. What an amazing feeling.”

The luck Torres — who has been going to Jets games since they played at Shea Stadium in Queens in the 1980s — enjoyed apparently rubbed off on the Jets, who rode a 54-yard field goal by Nick Folk as time expired to defeat the Falcons 27-24 and improve to 3-9.

Newsworthy nuggets

Who has the biggest active individual state lotto jackpot? Michigan continues to be where it’s at for a big jackpot as the Lotto 47 has $24.6 million up for grabs Saturday night. It is now the largest Lotto 47 jackpot in Wolverine State history, with the previous high $23.8 million won by a player in Macomb County in 2008.

Once more, there is a new state in the shotgun seat. New York slides into second with $12 million available for its Saturday night drawing. There was a winner of the $12.8 million “The Pick” in Arizona on Nov. 24, with the eight-figure ticket sold at a Circle K in North Phoenix.

Ohio’s Classic Lotto takes the final podium spot, offering $11.4 million for its Saturday night drawing. Illinois ($8.45 million) and Massachusetts ($8.1 million) round out the top five for the weekend.

The multi-state Lotto America has a $8.57 million jackpot Saturday night with a cash option of $4 million available.

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