Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots are both are in top 25

by Todd Northrop

2018 started with near-record cold sweeping across much of the USA, but the nation's two biggest multi-state games couldn't be hotter.

Powerball and Mega Millions have been rising steadily for the past few weeks, with both games' jackpots now at the point where even casual lottery players start to put ticket-buying on their list of to-dos.

After nobody won Mega Millions on Friday and Powerball on Saturday, the Mega Millions jackpot increased to $343 million, while Powerball leaped to $440 million.  The lump-sum cash options are $215 million and $278.3 million, respectively.

Only once before in history have two USA lottery jackpots been simultaneously greater than $300 million, and that occurred in Aug. 2017. The very next Mega Millions drawing was won by a single lottery ticket sold in Illinois and then claimed a couple of weeks later by a couple from Palos Heights.

The Powerball jackpot during that run-up reached $758.7 million and became the largest lottery jackpot in the world ever won by a single ticket. Astonishingly, 53-year-old Mavis Wanczyk walked into Massachusetts Lottery headquarters the morning after the drawing to claim the prize and participated in a press conference that afternoon.  The Massachusetts lottery machine used to sell the winning ticket is now on tour throughout the state.

At no time in history have two US jackpots been simultaneously greater than $400 million, but that milestone may be reached if the games roll another drawing or two.

Both the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots currently are in the top 25 all-time US lottery jackpot list — both for the annuity value and the cash value. The complete top 25 lists can be found below.

(As a side note, it's amazing to think that a jackpot now has to reach a staggering $340 million before it can make the top 25 list!)

With the larger jackpot of the two games, Powerball may be attracting more attention and its jackpot is growing a bit faster.  After nobody won the $390.1 million Powerball jackpot on Saturday evening, the game added another $50 million for the next drawing on Wednesday, with the cash value adding $35.4 million to its previous amount of $242.9 million.

Mega Millions added $37 million to the previous jackpot of $306 million when nobody won on Friday night, and the cash value ticked up $24 million from its previous amount of $191 million.

Lottery players wanting to see what their take-home loot would be for this week's drawings (after initial taxes are withheld) can check out the Jackpot Analysis for Mega Millions and Jackpot Analysis for Powerball pages at USA Mega.

Tickets cost $2 each, and both games offer a multiplier feature ("Megaplier" for Mega Millions and "Power Play" for Powerball) that can be purchased for an extra $1 per play.  Players who purchase the multiplier can have their winning non-jackpot prizes multiplied by the random multiplier number drawn that evening.  A nice way to console yourself after someone else wins your jackpot.

Multipliers 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).

Players looking for a nearby lottery retailer are encouraged to use Lottery Places, an app for iOS, Android, and Windows that can locate the nearest lottery retailers in every jurisdiction that sells Powerball and Mega Millions.  The helpful app can locate lottery retailers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, much of Canada, and the Caribbean.

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

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

The current Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots currently stand as the 12th- and 24th-largest lottery jackpots of all time in the United States.  Both positions may rise before the drawing, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.

1. Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 - California, Florida, Tennessee
2. Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 - Massachusetts
3. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
4. Mega Millions: $636 million, Dec. 17, 2013 - California, Georgia
5. Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
6. Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
7. Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
8. Mega Millions: $536 million, Jul. 8, 2016 - Indiana
9. Powerball: $487 million, Jul. 30, 2016 - New Hampshire
10. Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
11. Powerball: $447.8 million, Jun. 10, 2017 - California
12. Powerball: $440 million, Jan. 3, 2018 - Initial estimate, not won yet
13. Powerball: $435.3 million, Feb. 22, 2017 - Indiana
14. Powerball: $429.6 million, May 7, 2016 - New Jersey
15. Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 - California
16. Powerball: $420.9 million, Nov. 26, 2016 - Tennessee
17. Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 - Florida, Maryland
18. Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
19. Mega Millions: $393 million, Aug. 11, 2017 - Illinois
20. Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
21. Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
22. Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
23. The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
24. Mega Millions: $343 million, Jan. 2, 2018 - Initial estimate, not won yet
25. Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon

The number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

• Powerball: 16
• Mega Millions: 8
• The Big Game: 1

The Big Game is the original name of Mega Millions, from the game's first drawing on Sep. 6, 1996 through May 14, 2002.  The name was changed to Mega Millions starting with the May 17, 2002 drawing.

Top 25 cash value jackpots

Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.

The upcoming Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots rank as the 12th- and 23rd-largest cash values in U.S. history.

1. Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
2. Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
3. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
4. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
5. Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
6. Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
7. Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
8. Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($636 million annuity) - California, Georgia
9. Powerball: $336.8 million cash, Jul. 30, 2016 ($487 million annuity) - New Hampshire
10. Powerball: $284 million cash, May 7, 2016 ($429.6 million annuity) - New Jersey
11. Powerball: $279.1 million cash, Jun. 10, 2017 ($447.8 million annuity) - California
12. Powerball: $278.3 million cash, Jan. 3, 2018 ($440 million annuity) - Initial estimate, not won yet
13. Powerball: $263.5 million cash, Feb. 22, 2017 ($435.3 million annuity) - Indiana
14. Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
15. Powerball: $254.7 million cash, Nov. 26, 2016 ($420.9 million annuity) - Tennessee
16. Mega Millions: $246.5 million cash, Aug. 11, 2017 ($393 million annuity) - Illinois
17. Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
18. Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
19. Mega Millions: $230.9 million cash, Mar. 18, 2014 ($414 million annuity) - Florida, Maryland
20. Powerball: $227.8 million cash, Feb. 19, 2014 ($425.3 million annuity) - California
21. Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
22. Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
23. Mega Millions: $215 million cash, Jan. 2, 2018 ($343 million annuity) - Initial estimate, not won yet
24. Mega Millions: $214 million cash, Aug. 28, 2009 ($336 million annuity) - California, New York
25. Powerball: $211 million cash, Mar. 23, 2013 ($338.3 million annuity) - New Jersey

The number of jackpot cash values in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

• Powerball: 16
• Mega Millions: 9