Mega Millions jackpot now $970M; Powerball up to $730M
DES MOINES, Iowa— Lottery players will have another shot at the thirdlargest jackpot in U.S. history after Tuesday night's drawing didn't turn up a winner.
The Mega Millions top prize climbed to an estimated $970 million, the biggest jackpot in more than two years. Power ball, the other lottery game offered in most of the U.S ., isn't far behind at $ 730 million f or a drawing Wednesday night.
The winning numbers in Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing were: 10-19-26-2850 and a Mega Ball of 16.
It's the first time both lottery jackpots have topped $700 million. The biggest prize was a $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people
in 2016.
No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since Sept. 15, allowing the prize to grow
l arger and l arger over f our months. The last Powerball
jackpot winner was a day later, on Sept. 16.
Such big jack pots are rare, but both games rely on incredibly long odds to generate attention and increase sales. For Mega Millions, the odds of matching all six numbers is one in 302.5 million, and for Powerball it's one in 292.2 million.
The prizes listed are for winners who choose an annuity option, paid over 30 years. Winners almost always opt for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $716.3 million and $546 million for Powerball.
Those prizes also would be subject to federal taxes, and most states would take a cut as well.
Mega Millions and Power ball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D. C ., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Power ball also is offered in Puerto Rico.