By Todd Northrop

Lottery fever is spreading across the USA with two huge jackpots adding up to nearly $880 million.

The ability to walk into a lottery retailer and purchase two separate opportunities to win nearly a half-billion dollars is unprecedented. This is the first time in history that two US lottery games have simultaneously been greater than $400 million.

Mega Millions grew overnight to $418 million for Friday's drawing. Meanwhile tonight's Powerball jackpot has been raised from $440 million to $460 million, as a result of stronger than expected sales.

The winning numbers from Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing were 1, 42, 47, 64, and 70, with Mega Ball number 22. The Megaplier was 4.

The Mega Millions jackpot has grown since Oct. 17, when it started as a $15 million jackpot under the old Mega Millions rules, and has rolled 23 times. Mega Millions offers two jackpot payment options: the $418 million annuity prize paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual graduated payments; or the cash option, which is approximately $261 million.

Powerball began growing Oct. 28 as a $40 million jackpot, and has rolled 19 times. Powerball offers two jackpot payment options: the $460 million jackpot prize paid over 29 years in 30 graduated payments; or the cash option, which is approximately $291 million.

As a result of today's jackpot increases, Powerball is now the tenth-largest US lottery jackpot in history, and Mega Millions has moved into the 17th-largest ranking.

Mega Millions and Powerball tickets are $2 per play and can be purchased at lottery retailers in 44 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (Mega Millions is not offered in Puerto Rico.)

Players looking for a nearby lottery retailer — or that out-of-the-way retailer with a smaller line — 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.

Mega Millions players can multiply prizes with the Megaplier option for an additional $1 per play. In several (but not all) states, Mega Millions also offers a new optional $3 wager called Just the Jackpot that allows players to receive two entries for a chance to win the game's jackpot prize only.

Powerball players can multiply prizes with the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play.

According to the Texas Lottery, if nobody wins tonight's Powerball jackpot, the new Saturday jackpot will jump to an estimated $550 million — which will likely grow even higher by draw time.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

The current Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots currently stand as the 10th- and 17th-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: $460 million, Jan. 3, 2018 - Initial estimate, not won yet
11. Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
12. Powerball: $447.8 million, Jun. 10, 2017 - California
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: $418 million, Jan. 5, 2018 - Initial estimate, not won yet
18. Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 - Florida, Maryland
19. Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
20. Mega Millions: $393 million, Aug. 11, 2017 - Illinois
21. Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
22. Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
23. Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
24. The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
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 10th- and 14th-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: $291 million cash, Jan. 3, 2018 ($460 million annuity) - Initial estimate, not won yet
11. Powerball: $284 million cash, May 7, 2016 ($429.6 million annuity) - New Jersey
12. Powerball: $279.1 million cash, Jun. 10, 2017 ($447.8 million annuity) - California
13. Powerball: $263.5 million cash, Feb. 22, 2017 ($435.3 million annuity) - Indiana
14. Mega Millions: $261 million cash, Jan. 5, 2018 ($418 million annuity) - Initial estimate, not won yet
15. Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
16. Powerball: $254.7 million cash, Nov. 26, 2016 ($420.9 million annuity) - Tennessee
17. Mega Millions: $246.5 million cash, Aug. 11, 2017 ($393 million annuity) - Illinois
18. Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
19. Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
20. Mega Millions: $230.9 million cash, Mar. 18, 2014 ($414 million annuity) - Florida, Maryland
21. Powerball: $227.8 million cash, Feb. 19, 2014 ($425.3 million annuity) - California
22. Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
23. Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
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