$650 million in lottery jackpots up for grabs this week

Aug 7, 2017, 1:10 pm (41 comments)

Mega Millions / Powerball

Powerball, Mega Millions each worth more than $300 million

Includes video report

By Todd Northrop

The USA's two powerhouse multi-state lottery games have been steadily growing their jackpots over the past several weeks, and this week they offer a combined $650 million to lottery players who will take a chance to beat the odds.

Up first is Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing, featuring a whopping $346 million grand prize — the largest jackpot that game has seen in more than a year.  It has been more than three months since the Mega Millions jackpot was won, and it has been getting bigger in each of the 28 drawings that have occurred since then.

A player who matches all five numbers plus the Mega Ball number can also collect the prize as a $216.1 million lump-sum cash payout.

Of course, taxes will be withheld, and players can see what the prize will amount to after tax withholdings by visiting the Mega Millions Jackpot Analysis page at USA Mega.

So what should your fallback plan be if you don't win the Mega Millions?  Buy a ticket for Powerball the next day, since that game features a massive $307 million jackpot in the Wednesday evening drawing.

The Powerball jackpot has been growing over the course of the last 16 drawings spanning the past 2 months.  It started as a $40 million jackpot on June 14.

A Powerball winner could opt for the lump-sum cash value of $193.2 million.  USA Mega's Powerball Jackpot Analysis page shows the tax withholdings for each state.

The last Powerball jackpot win was on June 10, when one ticket from California matched all five numbers plus the Powerball for a $447.8 million prize.  The jackpot was claimed by Jeff Lindsay, who chose to receive minimal publicity. He bought 10 Powerball tickets on a whim after cashing in a winning scratch-off ticket.

It only takes $1 per ticket to play Mega Millions, but that price will increase to $2 per ticket in October.  Players can multiply prizes with the Megaplier option for an additional $1 per play.

Powerball tickets cost $2 each, with an additional $1 per play if the player wishes to add the Power Play multiplier option.

Both the Megaplier and Power Play will multiply any non-jackpot prizes the player wins by the random Megaplier or Power Play number drawn that evening.  Both features are available in all states offering the games except California, which bans the type of fixed prize payouts awarded by multipliers.

Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday evening at 11:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Pacific Time), and Powerball drawings are held Wednesday and Saturday evenings at 10:59 PM Eastern Time (7:59 PM Pacific Time).

The winning numbers for both games are published minutes after the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com), home of the USA's two mega jackpot games.

VIDEO: Watch the report

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

JADELottery's avatarJADELottery

Probability of winning both

1 in 75,648,252,765,957,300

lejardin's avatarlejardin

Quote: Originally posted by JADELottery on Aug 7, 2017

Probability of winning both

1 in 75,648,252,765,957,300

Yikes, and I was thinking about just that, what it would be like to win BOTH of these jackpots!

Toronto

I only want both, not one

Ron5995

Amazing how slow jackpots grow now. 28 drawings to get to $346 million annuity ($216.1 million cash).

When the price doubles to $2, the jackpot will grow somewhat quicker initially, but then, as one already sees with Powerball, only grow moderately for awhile until it's around $300-$500 million. I've noticed even at $300+ million, there aren't lines; mostly still regular players wagering.

$500+ million annuity will bring in casual players in droves with the news media touting how big the jackpot is. Unfortunately, for the consortium running the PB / MM games, it's highly likely one or both will be hit before then. Thus beginning the next, slow, many months long run to another big jackpot.

Pennsylvania recently released its annual fiscal report. Lottery sales were pretty much stable with the exception of Powerball showing a significant drop in revenue from the year before. Many other lotteries have experienced similar drops in sales. Mega Millions has hung in there. The price doubling will help grow MM revenues, despite less sales, this current fiscal year, and maybe into the next, but after that, barring another price increase (ie. $3 base & $2 for Megaplier) and/or huge jackpot, MM revenue will stagnate or fall.

To digress, it's remarkable that Pick-3 and Pick-4 games, despite being very long in the tooth, for many lotteries, still bring in more revenue than Powerball and Mega Millions. In PA, Pick-3 brings in the highest percentage of sales of any numbers games. Instant tickets are cannibalizing sales across the board, which would seem like a wash, but isn't, since the profit margin tends to be less than numbers games. It's no wonder many lotteries are turning to more add-ons (ie. Wildball) plus additional games, such as Keno. Rambling on, but it seems that Powerball and Mega Millions best days are in the rear view mirror.

Bleudog101

Just thinking when will Todd post my favorite, and many others, rankings of the lotteries?  Maybe after this week when nobody wins either one?  LOL.

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Aug 7, 2017

Just thinking when will Todd post my favorite, and many others, rankings of the lotteries?  Maybe after this week when nobody wins either one?  LOL.

LOL going to be a most curious week

 

but I doubt they going to let any one win till the last week of September or till they jack the price of the MM

music*'s avatarmusic*

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Aug 7, 2017

Just thinking when will Todd post my favorite, and many others, rankings of the lotteries?  Maybe after this week when nobody wins either one?  LOL.

I Agree! Bluedog101   You do want to win this week!!  Will you do the press availability and celebrity photo shoot? SMILE.Dance

Groppo's avatarGroppo

Quote: Originally posted by JADELottery on Aug 7, 2017

Probability of winning both

1 in 75,648,252,765,957,300

.

Mr./Ms. JadeLottery, thank you for that most interesting figure.
All I want is $1 million of that, and I'll be forever grateful. 
I'll have accomplished my lotto mission, and I can stop coming
here and griping about how it's never me.

So, $75 Zoobally million to win both prizes?

I don't even spend $50 (fifty per week), and I keep
wondering if it's going to be me next week.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by music* on Aug 7, 2017

I Agree! Bluedog101   You do want to win this week!!  Will you do the press availability and celebrity photo shoot? SMILE.Dance

Years ago I was going to set up an LLC 'just in case', never did.   Yeah, all the members of the lottery group will be in the picture as long as all the ducks are in the row first.  Thanks for the plug, bought 30 draws for MM/PB on the way to Canada two weeks ago in Michigan, bought some here today, and of course my soon to expire for good Massachusetts Season Tickets!

wander73's avatarwander73

Quote: Originally posted by Ron5995 on Aug 7, 2017

Amazing how slow jackpots grow now. 28 drawings to get to $346 million annuity ($216.1 million cash).

When the price doubles to $2, the jackpot will grow somewhat quicker initially, but then, as one already sees with Powerball, only grow moderately for awhile until it's around $300-$500 million. I've noticed even at $300+ million, there aren't lines; mostly still regular players wagering.

$500+ million annuity will bring in casual players in droves with the news media touting how big the jackpot is. Unfortunately, for the consortium running the PB / MM games, it's highly likely one or both will be hit before then. Thus beginning the next, slow, many months long run to another big jackpot.

Pennsylvania recently released its annual fiscal report. Lottery sales were pretty much stable with the exception of Powerball showing a significant drop in revenue from the year before. Many other lotteries have experienced similar drops in sales. Mega Millions has hung in there. The price doubling will help grow MM revenues, despite less sales, this current fiscal year, and maybe into the next, but after that, barring another price increase (ie. $3 base & $2 for Megaplier) and/or huge jackpot, MM revenue will stagnate or fall.

To digress, it's remarkable that Pick-3 and Pick-4 games, despite being very long in the tooth, for many lotteries, still bring in more revenue than Powerball and Mega Millions. In PA, Pick-3 brings in the highest percentage of sales of any numbers games. Instant tickets are cannibalizing sales across the board, which would seem like a wash, but isn't, since the profit margin tends to be less than numbers games. It's no wonder many lotteries are turning to more add-ons (ie. Wildball) plus additional games, such as Keno. Rambling on, but it seems that Powerball and Mega Millions best days are in the rear view mirror.

You made a great point about the small games.   And I'll tell you what's more interesting the state lotteries have better odds apparently than the big games yet I still play the bigger games although now that Mega in Halloween will go up I feel bad for lot of people playing it

Cassie8620's avatarCassie8620

Quote: Originally posted by JADELottery on Aug 7, 2017

Probability of winning both

1 in 75,648,252,765,957,300

ahhh no thank you.

I'd stick with my streak with multiple p4's and 3s  "on 1 number."  Better odds, each month.

I hope whoever is playing though,this time when it gets THIS HIGH in both games, 

-More win, per state/county.

-

Even if 100 or fifty people "per each state"OR even multi-states win (fifty to 100 people)when over 100 million, 

that is MORE than enough left over to pay the taxes,and for gov't to still make THEIR HUGE cut.$$$$ 

 

I see why so many have cease playing the big games like this. I never got,why 1 or 2 people only win 1/2 of billion

anything over 30 to 100 million,should be shared (more winners)Not just 1 or 2. SMH

JADELottery's avatarJADELottery

Quote: Originally posted by Groppo on Aug 7, 2017

.

Mr./Ms. JadeLottery, thank you for that most interesting figure.
All I want is $1 million of that, and I'll be forever grateful. 
I'll have accomplished my lotto mission, and I can stop coming
here and griping about how it's never me.

So, $75 Zoobally million to win both prizes?

I don't even spend $50 (fifty per week), and I keep
wondering if it's going to be me next week.

Thank you.

JADE will do.

It's an acronym.

We're a 49yo dude.

Have a look see.

Tatototman65's avatarTatototman65

Good luck to all players!

Smile

Ricklou's avatarRicklou

Quote: Originally posted by JADELottery on Aug 7, 2017

Probability of winning both

1 in 75,648,252,765,957,300

3 words...astronomical high ods!!

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