Mega Millions And Powerball Jackpots Running Neck And Neck, New Jersey Lottery Players Stay Hot

If you’re the superstitious type — and there’s a good chance you are if you’re someone who plays the lottery — then you may want to start buying your draw lottery tickets in New Jersey.

Not only has this year seen both a $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot hit in the Garden State in March and a $223 million Powerball win there just last week, but on top of that, those games crowned exactly two new millionaires in their most recent drawings and both winners purchased their lottery tickets in Jersey.

Nobody won the $47 million jackpot in Friday’s Mega Millions draw, and only one ticket went five-for-five on the white balls (1, 25, 26, 31, and 65) while missing the gold Mega Ball (2). That “Match 5” winner, for an even million bucks before taxes, was sold in New Jersey.

In Monday’s Powerball draw, the pattern repeated. Nobody went six-for-six to snag the estimated $45 million jackpot, but one lucky player in Jersey matched the five white balls (30, 48, 53, 58, and 66) while failing to connect on the red Powerball (9). This win was also worth $1 million before taxes.

All the numbers you need to know

In Powerball, the odds of winning the grand prize are 1-in-292.2 million, but the odds of winning the next highest payout, the million dollars, are a slightly more realistic 1-in-11.7 million.

On the Mega Millions side, the top prize is a 1-in-302.6 million shot, while scoring a million bucks has odds of 1-in-12.1 million.

Those all sound like daunting odds. But if you’re in New Jersey, you have reason to believe these days.

And the draws keeping coming, with a Mega Millions drawing Tuesday night and another round of Powerball on Wednesday. At the moment, with both jackpots having been claimed this month, the top prizes are very close to each other in value.

For Tuesday’s Mega Millions, the jackpot is estimated at $61 million — or $29.3 million if a winner takes the lump-sum cash option.

The next night, in Powerball, the estimated jackpot is $56 million, with a cash value of $27 million.

Tickets for either lottery cost $2 — for now. The Mega Millions price point is expected to change to $5 next year.

Both Powerball and Mega Millions tickets are available in every state except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Mega Millions tickets can also be purchased in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while Powerball is available in Puerto Rico in addition to both of those jurisdictions.

All-Time Biggest Jackpots

Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
3. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
4. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
5. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
6. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
7. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
9. $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey
10. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California

And here’s the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:

1. $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
3. $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
4. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
5. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
6. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
7. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
8. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $621 million, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
10. $558.1 million, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California