Mega Millions holds its lead at $977 million, but Powerball catching up with $750 million
By Todd Northrop
Lottery players across the United States are buying multi-state lottery tickets at a furious pace, driving up the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots simultaneously to a massive $1.7 billion in total.
According to leading multi-state lottery website USA Mega, the Mega Millions jackpot sits at an estimated $977 million with a cash value of $461 million with a drawing Friday night, while Saturday's Powerball drawing offers a $750 million estimated jackpot with a cash option of $357.3 million.
When lottery jackpots get this large, the lotteries often revise the jackpot amounts in real time, so these numbers may go up prior to the drawings. Lottery Post and USA Mega will update the jackpot amounts and analysis if they do change, so readers should check back periodically for the latest numbers.
Mega Millions is currently ranked as the 10th-largest US lottery jackpot of all time, while Powerball is the 15th-largest. (See the complete top 25 annuity and cash jackpots below.)
Lottery players dreaming of what the cash would look like in their bank account can get quite an accurate picture by visiting USA Mega's Powerball Jackpot Analysis and Mega Millions Jackpot Analysis pages. They present the after-tax cash and annuity prize amounts reported state-by-state, showing both the initial withholdings by the lottery as well as the final taxes due — and even lets you specify your IRS filing status.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs.
The rising Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots are growing similarly to how the two multi-state jackpots simultaneously climbed during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, again in 2021, and then again last July. The current duo of massive jackpots is the first time players have seen prizes of this magnitude since a $1.76 billion Powerball jackpot was won in Oct. 2023 by a lone ticket sold in California. That jackpot was claimed this month by a mostly-anonymous group led by Theodorus Struyck, described by neighbors as a kind family man.
The winning numbers for the Powerball drawing on Wed., Mar. 20, 2024 were 13, 22, 27, 54, and 66, with Powerball number 9. The Power Play multiplier was 2. None of the tickets sold won either the jackpot or the second prize worth $1 million.
The Mega Millions drawing on Tue., Mar. 19, 2024 produced the winning numbers 24, 46, 49, 62, and 66, with Mega Ball number 7. The Megaplier multiplier was 2. Four lucky tickets sold in California, Florida, Texas, and Virginia matched all five numbers for a $1 million prize, missing the entire jackpot by just the Mega Ball number. (The California winner will claim a prize of $1,748,612 due to the state's pari-mutuel payout structure.)
Friday's Mega Millions drawing will take place at 11:00 pm Eastern Time (8:00 pm Pacific), while the next Powerball drawing is set for Sat., Mar. 23 at 10:59 pm Eastern Time (7:59 pm Pacific).
USA Mega publishes all the important information about both multi-state games in one place: the winning numbers, official drawing videos, locations of big winners, number of winners in each prize category, upcoming jackpots with after-tax payouts, statistics, and analysis.
Mega Millions and Powerball tickets are $2 per play and can be purchased at lottery retailers in 45 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 an 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. In fourteen Powerball jurisdictions, players can also participate in a second drawing called Powerball Double Play for an extra $1 per play, in which the numbers on their ticket are entered into a second drawing with the possibility of winning up to $10 million in cash. More information about Double Play can be found at USA Mega's How to Play Powerball page.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
The following list shows the top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time. The current Mega Millions annuity ranks as the 10th-largest United States lottery jackpot in history, while the current Powerball annuity ranks as the 15th-largest ever.
- Powerball: $2.0401 billion, Nov. 7, 2022 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Powerball: $1.7649 billion, Oct. 11, 2023 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Mega Millions: $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023 (31 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Florida
- Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023 (25 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maine
- Mega Millions: $1.337 billion, Jul. 29, 2022 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Illinois
- Powerball: $1.0798 billion, Jul. 19, 2023 (38 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Mega Millions: $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021 (36 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
- Mega Millions: $977 million, Mar. 22, 2024 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $842.4 million, Jan. 1, 2024 (34 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
- Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
- Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $754.6 million, Feb. 6, 2023 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Washington
- Powerball: $750 million, Mar. 23, 2024 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $731.1 million, Jan. 20, 2021 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maryland
- Powerball: $699.8 million, Oct. 4, 2021 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
- Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $632.6 million, Jan 5, 2022 (39 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California, Wisconsin
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 (13 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Powerball: $559.7 million, Jan. 6, 2018 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Hampshire
For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 17
- Mega Millions: 8
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 Mega Millions jackpot ranks as the 15th-largest United States lottery jackpot cash value of all time, while the Powerball jackpot ranks as the 24th-largest cash value of all time.
- Powerball: $997.6 million cash, Nov. 7, 2022 ($2.0401 billion annuity) - California
- Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $877.8 million cash, Oct. 23, 2018 ($1.537 billion annuity) - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $794.2 million cash, Aug. 8, 2023 ($1.602 billion annuity) - Florida
- Mega Millions: $780.5 million cash, Jul. 29, 2022 ($1.337 billion annuity) - Illinois
- Mega Millions: $776.6 million cash, Jan. 22, 2021 ($1.05 billion annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $774.1 million cash, Oct. 11, 2023 ($1.7649 billion annuity) - California
- Mega Millions: $723.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2023 ($1.348 billion annuity) - Maine
- Powerball: $558.1 million cash, Jul. 19, 2023 ($1.0798 billion annuity) - California
- Powerball: $546.8 million cash, Jan. 20, 2021 ($731.1 million annuity) - Maryland
- Powerball: $496 million cash, Oct. 4, 2021 ($699.8 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $477 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $461 million cash, Mar. 22, 2024 ($977 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $450.2 million cash, Jan. 5, 2022 ($632.6 million annuity) - California, Wisconsin
- Powerball: $425.2 million cash, Jan. 1, 2024 ($842.4 million annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $407.2 million cash, Feb. 6, 2023 ($754.6 million annuity) - Washington
- Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
- Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
- Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
- Powerball: $357.3 million cash, Mar. 23, 2024 ($750 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $352 million cash, Jan. 6, 2018 ($559.7 million annuity) - New Hampshire
The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 17
- Mega Millions: 8
1 Quick Pick Ticket is random enough as buying 1000 lottery tickets. Good luck 🍀
So, what's the merged lottery going to be called?
Mega Ball, Power Millions?
Todd and Kate may have to put out a revised post on this.
$23 million from a Billion...history dictates it'll increase to over that in time for Friday's drawing.
Feeling for the folks @ Primm Lotto store in California. No doubt they'll have long lines in the short hours that place is open. They have a wall full of self service machines for those Las Vegans to pour their money into.
With increased sales, it may reach $1billion by Friday night.
It's time Louisiana won a jackpot on MegaMillions as we haven't won one yet.
I got my tickets and good luck to everyone.
Sorry P-6......TN hasn't had a top 25 winner for the MM(until tomorrow) , so you folks can have the PB on Saturday instead
At least TN has won the jackpot a couple of time, LA has never won it and it's our time.
Even so, good luck to you and all other MegaMillions players Friday night.
Goodbye 1995 Honda Accord. Hello Toyota Supra.
Six speed manny?
Got to be in it to win it! Here goes my strategy for LP members! I only buy one ticket with the $3 option for each MM and PB! I only purchased 1 ticket for every odds! So if mega odds is 1 to 302 millions and Powerball is 1 to 292 million. I'll wait to jackpot levels $604 Million and $584 Million before I jump in. I let all the other people build it up before I go in to play especially why the lottery guys are greedy and never placed it back at 40 million when COVID was over but still kept the price at $2. Plus I'm in two lottery groups pools. One with 82 people where we're all putting $5 a draw rather it's at $20 million or 1 billion. Let that sink in and add that up! The other group is 6 people and we play weekly with $4 a week. So with all that being said I've been at this for 20 years with both groups and my own money and we still and I never won anything but the hope and dream keeps us all going! All I know is the lottery is getting $26 weekly out of my life the last 20 years and I never missed a draw so I will love to hit this thing big especially with the group of 82 members. They're good people in that group who lost love ones of wives, husband and children due to COVID. I don't see half of them anymore because they retired from where I work but they all still wanted to be part of the lottery even in retirement.
Yes can't have no automatic sports car.
Does your state offer Double Play on Powerball? Found myself doing that vs Powerplay because of the $10 million prize on its own draw off of your original numbers.
I like your philosophy very much. Sounds like a good people to play with even in retirement.
I turned 41 years old this past Monday on the 18th. I will play my 5 quick picks with the multiply for both megamillions and powerball as well as megabucks! Best of luck to all that play on this website! Would definitely semi retire and enjoy life to the fullest traveling the country and visiting national parks campgrounds and other areas of interest to learn about our history as a country!
As always, I got my QP one PB with PP and my one MM with the multiplier.
Other than wait for the draw, there is nothing else to do - lol.
As a reminder, should I win the JP, I will let us know 😁
Wishing us all luck.