The Lotto Matrix: ‘The Pick’ Goes National And Still-Growing Mega

First things first

How much is Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot drawing worth? Our “Big Boy” took another couple of steps towards “Grown Man” status with the two rollovers this week. The jackpot is worth $458 million, and you Scrooge McDuck types can opt for the cash option of $212.4 million.

Tuesday night’s drawing ended a four-drawing stretch without a second-place jackpot as a $5 million ticket was sold in Oklahoma and a $3 million ticket was sold in Illinois. The 10 tickets sold this year that have matched the five non-Mega Ball numbers have been sold in 10 different states.

Estimated ticket sales, however, remain somewhat stubborn. The last three drawings look to have been in a narrow range around 6.5 million, meaning each drawing has seen roughly $32.5 million worth of tickets printed. One silver lining is the constant rollovers may put February’s estimated ticket sales in close proximity to January’s figures with one less drawing.

How much is Saturday’s Powerball jackpot drawing worth? We are on the cusp of “Big Boy” status for Powerball with Saturday’s jackpot worth $238 million. A rollover on the weekend will likely put Monday’s jackpot over a quarter-billion dollars. The cash option cracked nine figures Wednesday night and is $110.9 million for the weekend.

Wednesday night’s drawing snapped a run of 10 consecutive drawings with at least one ticket that matched the five non-Powerball numbers. The 14 tickets syncing up those numbers paid out $17 million during that streak, with three players winning $2 million by ticking the power play option.

Estimated ticket sales looked typical for the week: Heavy action for Saturday night’s drawing with approximately 13.9 million, followed by a drop-off to 8.4 million Monday night, and then a rebound of sorts to 10.2 million Wednesday night. The estimated base ticket sales ($2 per line) for February heading into the final drawing of the month are $219.6 million. That dollar figure could be 10% to 15% higher based on the estimated volume of tickets utilizing the power play option.

The saga of ‘The Pick’

It appears we need one good, juicy lottery story per year, evidenced by “As The Texas Lottery Turns” from 2025. The starter kit for 2026 can be found in Arizona, where “custody” of last November’s $12.8 million jackpot is up for grabs.

There are many legal avenues that intersect in this case, but a key one is property law centering around the person who originally ordered the $85 worth of tickets printed and whether that person “abandoned” the tickets they did not pay for or simply left them.

Abandonment requires a person to have intent not to reclaim property. Property that is left behind requires a different protocol and remains subject to the person potentially still having a legal claim to the property.

That is one reason Circle K Stores sought a declaratory judgement in its filing in Maricopa County Superior Court.

“Circle K is committed to doing the right thing and maintaining a strong, transparent partnership with the Arizona Lottery,” said a company spokesperson in an email to Lottery Geeks. “That commitment is precisely why we have asked the court how best to proceed under these unique circumstances.”

Millionaire for Life debuts

Sunday night marked the debut of Millionaire for Life, the latest multi-state lottery with a daily drawing that offers the top prize of $1 million a year for life or a pre-tax lump sum of $18 million. Second prize is $100,000 a year for life or a lump sump of $2.2 million.

Through five drawings including Thursday night, there have been exactly zero first and second-place winners. That said, estimated ticket sales look to be steadily climbing based on the number of other winning tickets and then multiplied by the 8.46 odds per winner and then $5 per ticket.

The number of winning tickets has climbed from a low of 46,430 on Monday night to 64,600 on Thursday night, which means average ticket sales are around 455,000. That puts ticket sales in terms of money at approximately $2.3 million per drawing.

Rome wasn’t built a day, but the first week does look to be setting a nice foundation.

I would by all the drink tickets!

Carnival Cruise Line announced Wednesday it has launched Carnival Millions, a fleet-wide lottery that offers daily prizes up to a top prize of $1 million.

Cruise-goers can purchase tickets through the Carnival Hub app once on board via the ship’s Wi-Fi and have the ability to purchase multiple tickets at a time. All participating ships in North America and Europe are synced into the same coordinated drawing, which is conducted electronically to award prizes.

“We are proud to lead the market in gaming innovation at sea. By linking our ships into one exciting lottery, we’re creating a shared sense of anticipation that goes beyond any single voyage,” said Marty Goldman, Senior Vice President of Global Gaming at Carnival Corporation, “This experience gives every guest the opportunity to win a life-changing jackpot, exactly the kind of fun and energy our guests love, and we’re thrilled to deliver it.”

All winnings, ranging from onboard ship credits to the $1 million top prize, appear instantly on the app. Major prize winners are also contacted by the ship’s Casino and Guest Services teams.

Newsworthy Nuggets

No bulk potato purchases for you: The Idaho State Lottery Commission is a governor’s signature away from having the ability to block bulk purchases after House Bill 504 passed overwhelmingly in the Senate by a 30-4-1 vote Monday.

The legislation, introduced by the lower chamber’s State Affairs Committee, was shepherded through the statehouse by Rep. Joe Alfieri and Sen. Jim Guthrie. It would give the Idaho State Lottery the ability to flag any purchase of tickets exceeding $5,000 in a 24-hour span in either single or multiple transactions and single or multiple locations.

If the payment is confirmed as a bulk purchase, the agency can then deny the prize award. Legislation was spurred after a group last year netted $500,000 after making $1 million worth of ticket purchases. The payouts impacted the lottery’s public school fund and other state programs.

$50 million SuperLotto Plus winner steps forward: The California Lottery announced Wednesday that James Bogan was the winner of last October’s $50 million SuperLotto Plus lottery. Bogan purchased his ticket at the Village Spirit Shoppe in Westlake Village, which is situated between Los Angeles and Santa Clara.

The $50 million prize was the largest SuperLotto Plus jackpot in the Golden State in 2025.

Where is the biggest active individual state lotto jackpot? Another week, another set of rollovers in all five states with the biggest state-run jackpots available.

California continues to occupy the top spot at $32 million, with a cash option of $14.8 million also available. The Lotto Matrix moved base camp to Katy in the Lone Star State this weekend to celebrate a sibling’s 50th birthday Saturday, so he will be getting a few Texas Lottery quick picks in hopes of claiming a $26 million jackpot that has a $14.6 million cash option.

And maybe splitting it with his brother and sister.

Indiana ($14.4 million), Massachusetts ($12.55 million), and Oregon ($9.3 million) once more complete the high-prize quintet, with the Bay State offering a potential $8.73 million cash option before taxes to a sole winner.

Another three rollovers has pushed the Lotto America jackpot to $16.53 million, and there is a $7.7 million cash option available for the 88th drawing since a winning ticket was sold in South Dakota for a $4 million jackpot Aug. 6.

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