Billions of dollars are up for grabs this week, as jackpots from Mega Millions and Powerball lotteries have continued to grow after players haven’t won the top prize for months.
Altogether, $ 1.3 billion is available – a $ 750 million jackpot is expected in Friday’s Mega Millions draw and $ 550 million for Wednesday’s Powerball draw. These totals are ranked the second largest for the Mega Millions jackpot and the ninth largest for the Powerball.
While these numbers are catching the attention of players across the country, they pale compared to the record highs of $ 1.53 billion in October 2018 for Mega Millions and $ 1.58 billion in January 2016 for Powerball. Still, hopes of winning are high, as seen by the increase in ticket sales in Pennsylvania.
This week, Mega Millions sales in the state rose more than 700% over the same period last year, while Powerball sales rose 200%, according to Ewa Swope, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Lottery. On Wednesday, sales reached $ 2,430 per minute for Mega Millions and Megaplier and $ 4,776 per minute for Powerball and Power Play.
“Ticket sales are increasing as Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots increase,” said Swope. “As you can imagine, bigger jackpots certainly generate bigger sales.”
The money produced from these sales is divided. Of each dollar, 65.5% goes to the prizes of the winners, 24.5% goes to senior programs, 7.4% goes to commissions from retailers and suppliers and 2.6% goes to operating expenses of the state lottery agency.
This totaled about $ 1.14 billion for senior programs in the 2019-20 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, according to the Lottery website.
Lottery punters have been vying for the top Mega Millions and Powerball prizes since September, the last time anyone won the jackpot. For Mega Millions, Friday’s draw will be the 35th in the current race, or the longest launch in the game’s history.
During that time, both games produced some winners, with 25.5 million Mega Millions tickets considered winners at all prize levels and 41 worth $ 1 million or more. A similar number has been registered for Powerball, with more than 24 million winning tickets sold since the last jackpot was awarded, including 24 tickets worth $ 1 million and 10 tickets worth $ 2 million.
The jackpot totals promoted by the lotteries are the totals for those who opt for paid annuities over 30 years. Whoever chooses the cash option gets a little less. For the Mega Millions jackpot, winners who choose the cash option will receive $ 550.6 million, while the Powerball winner will take home $ 411.4 million.
The chances of reaching the top prize in both games are difficult, with chances of winning Mega Millions one in 302.5 million and chances of winning Powerball one in 292.2 million. Both games are played in 45 states, as well as in Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands. Powerball is also offered in Puerto Rico.
Megan Tomasic is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Megan at 724-850-1203, [email protected] or via Twitter .
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