The giant Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots are heading into their next big tests this weekend. This is just the 3rd time that the jackpots have simultaneously topped $700 million.
The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $977 million annuity, $467 million lump-sum option for that game’s next drawing tonight. That’s the 6th largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the 10th largest U.S. lottery jackpot.
And not to be forgotten, the Powerball jackpot for that game’s next drawing tomorrow night is an estimated $750 million annuity, $360.8 million lump-sum option. That’s the 9th-largest jackpot in Powerball history.
Lots Of First-Time & Occasional Players Jumping In
When the jackpots really get up there like they are now, lots of first-time and occasional players jump in to buy tickets. There also is a spike in office pools and people buying tickets together with friends and family.
Here’s a quick brush-up if you want to play but aren’t sure how: The simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a local store for an easy-pick play in Powerball or Mega Millions. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and the ticket will be printed for you.
In most drawings, more than 90 percent of the tickets in Powerball and Mega Millions are easy-pick plays.
If you want more details about how to buy a ticket for a chance at one of the big jackpots, the Iowa Lottery keeps how-to-play videos available on its website. We also have reminders about keeping lottery group play fun and hassle free.
Play Healthy
At the Iowa Lottery, we remind our players to enjoy the moment, but we ask everyone to set a limit and stay within it for how much they’ll spend when they're buying tickets. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun – it’s not an investment and you're not guaranteed to win.
The Iowa Lottery keeps these and other Play Smart, Be Informed details on its website to help everyone have an accurate understanding of how the lottery works.
Hi, Sherry. The winning numbers selected in the drawings for Powerball and Mega Millions are drawn with ball-drawing machines, as they always have been since the games began. The ball-drawing machines are not connected to the Internet or computers in any way, so there is no "controlling" that occurs with them. The outcome of the drawings is random, and every ticket purchased in the games has the same odds of winning. The games do have long odds, and that's how the jackpots grow so large. But someone will eventually win them, and we'll all have fun waiting for that to happen. Can't wait to see who the next big winner is! Thank you for playing!
Posted by: Mary Neubauer | March 22, 2024 at 04:36 PM
Hard to say what's going on with these two jackpots, although when the numbers drawn are unusual as they relate to one another, it's less likely the jackpot will go. On the other hand, I often wonder if the powers that be are simply controlling the system to let those jackpots grow, which in turn makes even more money for the system. Hard to say. I am a faithful player of some games, but not all. Are the numbers drawn with the old fashioned machine that uses the ping-pong like balls, or are the numbers drawn/selected by a computer?
Posted by: Sherry Kaestner | March 22, 2024 at 02:18 PM