(WJW) — “What a difference a year makes!” That’s what lottery officials are saying after the Mega Millions jackpot rolled over yet again Tuesday night.
This time last year, the Mega Millions jackpot had already been hit four different times, with payouts reaching $1.348 billion, $20 million, $31 million, and $33 million.But so far this year, there’s not been a single jackpot winner.
Surprising? Not really.
The odds of winning any Mega Millions prize is 1 in 24, but your chances of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350 (though some argue there are ways to increase your odds).
Without a winner in Tuesday’s drawing, Mega Millions officials now estimate the jackpot at $687 million, with a cash option of $332.3 million — though after taxes, a winner would take home much less.
At its current size, the jackpot ranks as the sixth-largest in Mega Millions history, coming in behind a $1.05 billion prize won by a ticket in Michigan in 2021. Here are the 10 largest jackpots in the game’s history:
- $1.602 billion: August 8, 2023 (Florida)
- $1.537 billion: Oct. 23, 2018 (South Carolina)
- $1.348 billion: Jan. 13, 2023 (Maine)
- $1.337 billion: July 29, 2022 (Illinois)
- $1.050 billion: Jan. 22, 2021 (Michigan)
- $687 million: (estimatedahead of Friday’s drawing)
- $656 million: Mar. 30, 2012 (Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland)
- $648 million: Dec. 17, 2013 (California and Georgia)
- $543 million: July 24, 2018 (California)
- $536 million: July 8, 2016 (Indiana)
Regardless of how daunting the odds may seem, the Mega Millions jackpot will eventually be won. The next drawing is Friday, March 8 at 11 p.m. ET.
If you’re feeling lucky, (and are looking for a game with slightly better odds), you may also want to pick up a Powerball ticket. The next drawing is Wednesday, March 6, at 10:50 p.m. ET. That jackpot sits at an estimated $485 million, which is more than $200 million shy of being among the 10 largest in Powerball history.
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are slightly better than the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot at 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets for Mega Millions and Powerball are $2 each.
FAQs
The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are slightly better than the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot at 1 in 292,201,338.
Are my odds better with Powerball or Mega Millions? ›
The odds of winning Mega Millions are nearly nine times higher than that. Lottery officials say the chances of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. With the Powerball, the odds of taking the grand prize are 1 in 292,201,338. Numbers that big are impossible to wrap your brain around, though.
Which jackpot is bigger, Mega Millions or Powerball? ›
The Mega Millions prize ranks as the 8th largest in U.S. lottery history and is about half the size of the largest jackpot, a $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in November 2022.
Why are Mega Millions jackpots getting bigger? ›
"Because we've seen interest rates rising, it means those payments will be higher," Palmer said. "And so that's been a factor, you're basically earning more interest on your payout." RELATED: What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
How do you increase your chances of winning Mega Millions? ›
The Mega Millions, like any lottery, is a game of chance. Glickman suggests that the best way to increase your chances of winning is to buy more tickets, within reason. For example, if the probability of winning the jackpot is 1 in 302,575,350 with one ticket, it becomes 2 in 302,575,350 if you buy two.
Which lottery has the best odds? ›
THE BEST WORLDWIDE LOTTERY ODDS
| WORLDWIDE LOTTERY ODDS |
|---|
| Swedish Lotto | 1:139,838,160 |
| German Lotto | 1:139,838,160 |
| Powerball (US) | 1:292,201,338 |
| MegaMillions (US) | 1:302,573,350 |
15 more rowsOct 11, 2022
Apart from Jackpots, there are other small prizes in each of these games. there are some serious lottery players who won smaller prizes in both Powerball and Jackpot. But as per the official records, there is no single person who won both Mega Million and Powerball.
Who won the lottery 14 times? ›
Lottery Winning Dream
Well Stefan Mandel is one of those people, winning a whopping 14 times, but for him, luck didn't have much to do with it. That's because Mandel found a way to beat the system, a legal loophole he exploited to make millions of dollars, only to have it all backfire and crash down on him.
What is the luckiest Mega Million? ›
What are the luckiest Mega Millions numbers?
- 10 - Drawn 63 times.
- 3 - Drawn 63 times.
- 17 - Drawn 62 times.
- 31 - Drawn 59 times.
- 14 - Drawn 59 times.
- 46 - Drawn 59 times.
- 15 - Drawn 58 times.
- 8 - Drawn 58 times.
New York state is home to the most Mega Millions jackpot winners, with 42 winning tickets sold in the Empire State. California follows with 36 winning tickets sold in-state. The more populated states correlate to selling more Mega Millions jackpot-winning tickets.
Picking your own numbers doesn't change the odds of winning. But, picking random numbers does increase the odds that if you win, no one else wins.
Why is it so hard to win Mega Millions? ›
The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), a not-for-profit that coordinates the Mega Millions, has transformed it into a national game, made it more difficult to win the jackpot and increased the price of each ticket from $1 to $2.
What number comes up most often in Mega Millions? ›
The five most frequently drawn numbers since then are 10, 3, 17, 14, and 46, while the most frequent Mega Ball numbers have been 11, 22, 18, 24, and 13.
Is there a trick to picking Mega Millions numbers? ›
Harvard statistics professor Mark Glickman recommends selecting random numbers or buying Quick Picks. If you win Mega Millions and Powerball, you have to split the prize with anyone who had the same numbers.
Which has better odds, Powerball or Mega Millions? ›
Your chances of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are roughly 1 in 302.6 million. Your odds are slightly better when it comes to Powerball, where you have a 1 in 24.87 chance at any prize, ranging from $4 to the jackpot.
Has anyone ever won Mega Millions with Quick Pick? ›
11. $536 Million (Indiana) On July 8, 2016, an Indiana couple won this mega jackpot after buying 5 Quick Pick tickets on a road trip. The winning family was able to remain anonymous by accepting their prize through a law firm in the state.
Which has better odds Powerball or Super Lotto? ›
According to the California Lottery, the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 41,416,353 - about seven times better than winning the popular multi-state games Powerball and Mega Millions.
What is the best way to play Powerball and Mega Millions? ›
The easiest and quickest way to play is to choose a "quick pick", which is set of numbers randomly selected by the lottery machine.
What are the odds of winning Mega Millions with 50,000 tickets? ›
A quick check of the odds of winning with the purchase of 50,000 tickets shows they are still quite long at approximately 1 in 913,219.
Is it worth playing Mega Millions? ›
Your chances of winning the lottery are extremely low. The odds of winning the lottery do not increase by playing frequently. Advertised lottery jackpots are the sum of annuity payments winners receive over decades; the alternative lump-sum payouts are much smaller.
