Powerball and Mega Millions Jackpot Fast Facts
JPEG and EPS images of Iowa playslips and tickets in the Powerball and Mega Millions games, game logos, and images of people buying tickets are available on the lottery website here: Iowa Lottery Logo
and Game Logos pages.
Editor's Notes: For continued jackpot estimates between drawings, please visit the Iowa Lottery's website at www.ialottery.com.
CLIVE, Iowa — The giant Mega Millions® and Powerball® jackpots have reached another new threshold: This is the first time they have simultaneously been at or above $800 million.
The Powerball jackpot faces the next big test in that game's drawing on Monday night. The jackpot for that drawing now stands at an estimated $800 million annuity, $384.8 million lump-sum option. That is the sixth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.
The Mega Millions jackpot is currently the bigger of the two, now standing at an estimated $1.1 billion annuity, $525.8 million lump-sum option for that game's next drawing on Tuesday night. That is the fifth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the eighth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot.
How Have The Jackpots Grown So Big?
The reason the jackpots have grown so large: time and sales.
The Mega Millions jackpot now has been growing for nearly four months, last won in the drawing on Dec. 8. The Powerball jackpot has been growing for nearly three months, last won on New Year's Day.
The jackpots grow from drawing to drawing when there is no grand prize winner, and sales generally increase as the jackpots climb higher. Higher sales, in turn, push the jackpots even higher.
Recap On How To Play
When the jackpots really get up there like they are now, lots of first-time and occasional players jump in to buy tickets. Office pools and people buying tickets together with friends and family also see a spike.
Here is brush-up for those folks who want to play but aren't sure how: The simplest way to buy a ticket is to ask a clerk at a store for an easy-pick play in Powerball or Mega Millions. The lottery terminal will select the numbers for that play and print out the ticket. Generally, at least 90 percent of the tickets purchased in the big-jackpot games today are easy-pick plays.
For more details, the Iowa Lottery keeps how-to-play videos available on its website here: https://ialottery.com/Pages/Multimedia/HowToPlay.aspx.
The lottery also has reminders to help keep lottery group play fun and hassle free available here: https://ialottery.com/Pages/PlayerSecurity/GroupPlayReminders.aspx.
The Deadline To Buy
Remember that the deadline in Iowa to buy tickets for the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, it will be for an upcoming drawing and you won't be in the running for that night's giant prize.
Play Healthy
The Iowa Lottery reminds players to enjoy the moment, remember that you are gambling when you buy tickets and there is no guarantee you'll win. Playing the lottery is something that should be done just for fun.
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: https://www.ialottery.com/Pages/PlaySmartBeInformed/PlaySmartBeInformed_main.aspx.
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