Name a better duo. (We'll wait. 🤓) Powerball and Mega Millions are both fun and easy to play – with BIG prizes up for grabs. Here's everything you need to know about America's favorite lottery games.
| Powerball | Mega Millions | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting prize | $20 million | $20 million |
| Record prize | $2.04 billion | $1.537 billion |
| Overall odds of winning | 1 in 24.9 | 1 in 24 |
| Drawings per week | 3 | 2 |
| Draw days | Monday, Wednesday, Saturday | Tuesday, Friday |
| Price per ticket | $2 | $2 |
| Ticket add-ons (Multiplier) | Power Play ($1) | Megaplier ($1) |
| Highest Multiplier | 10x | 5x |
| How to play |
Select 5 numbers from 1–69 Select 1 Powerball number from 1 1–26 |
Select 5 numbers from 1–70 Select 1 Mega Ball number from 1–25. |
| Available in | 45 states plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands | 45 states plus Washington DC, and the Virgin Islands |
| State with most grand prize wins | Indiana | New York |
Record Prizes
“Millions” may be in the name of the game, but the biggest Mega Millions win of all time totaled $1.537 billion. One lucky lotto player from the small town of Simpson, South Carolina won it in October 2018. Here are the biggest Mega Millions winners of all time.
The biggest Powerball prize of all time clocked in at $2.04 billion. That's a world record! A single ticket in California won the whole shebang on November 7, 2022. Meet the all-time biggest Powerball winners.
Odds of Winning
The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize: 1 in 24.9. Here are all the ways you can win:
| Match | Win | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 numbers + Powerball | Jackpot | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| 5 numbers | $1,000,000 | 1 in 11,688,053 |
| 4 numbers + Powerball | $50,000 | 1 in 931,001 |
| 4 numbers | $100 | 11 in 36,525.17 |
| 3 numbers + Powerball | $100 | 1 in 14,494.11 |
| 3 numbers | $7 | 1 in 579.76 |
| 2 numbers + Powerball | $7 | 11 in 701.33 |
| 1 number + Powerball | $4 | 1 in 91.98 |
| Powerball only | $4 | 1 in 38.32 |
The overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize: 1 in 24. Here are all the ways to win:
| Match | Win | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 numbers + Mega Ball | Jackpot | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| 5 numbers | $1,000,000 | 1 in 12,607,306 |
| 4 numbers + Mega Ball | $10,000 | 1 in 931,001 |
| 4 numbers | $500 | 1 in 38,792 |
| 3 numbers + Mega Ball | $200 | 1 in 14,547 |
| 3 numbers | $10 | 1 in 606 |
| 2 numbers + Mega Ball | $10 | 1 in 693 |
| 1 number + Mega Ball | $4 | 1 in 89 |
| Mega Ball | $2 | 1 in 37 |
When are the Powerball and Mega Millions drawings?
Powerball draws 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, at 10:59 PM ET.
Mega Millions draws 2 times a week on Tuesday and Friday, at 11:00 PM ET.
How to Play Powerball and Mega Millions
Powerball: Select 5 regular numbers from 1–69 and 1 red Powerball number from 1–26.
Mega Millions: Select 5 regular numbers from 1–70 and 1 Mega Ball number from 1–25.
Looking for some inspiration in picking your lucky numbers? A good place to start is the luckiest lotto numbers of 2022.
Power Play vs Megaplier
For an extra $1 per game, you can add the multiplier feature to your ticket. In Powerball, the multiplier is called Power Play. In Mega Millions, the multiplier is called Megaplier. The “multiplier” number is drawn and announced along with the winning numbers and can multiply your prize — not including the jackpot — by up to ten times (Powerball) or 5 times (Mega Millions).
Where can I play Powerball or Mega Millions?
Powerball is offered in 45 states plus Washington, DC and the Virgin Islands.
Mega Millions is offered in 45 states plus Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
If you’re located in a Jackpocket state, you can use the Jackpocket app to order Powerball & Mega Millions tickets from anywhere in your state.
Where can I find the winning Powerball or Mega Millions numbers?
Players across the country can use the Jackpocket app to get winning numbers and lottery results for all lottery games in the US! Download Jackpocket to get started.
