CLIVE — The Mega Millions® jackpot has climbed even further into record territory as lottery talk continues this week in Iowa and across the country. The Mega Millions® jackpot has been raised to an estimated $970 million annuity, $548.6 million lump-sum option for Friday’s drawing. The Powerball jackpot also continues to climb, so combined, the two games’ top prizes are nearing $1.5 billion.
No one won the jackpot in Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing, sending that game’s big prize up. It is now the largest prize offered in the history of that game, eclipsing the previous Mega Millions record of $656 million, which was split in March 2012 by three tickets purchased in Kansas, Illinois and Maryland. The current Mega Millions jackpot is second only to the world-record Powerball jackpot of nearly $1.6 billion that was split by three tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016.
Likewise, no one won the jackpot in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing, sending that game’s big prize to an estimated $430 million annuity, $248 million cash option, for Saturday’s drawing. That ranks at No. 12 on the list of the biggest jackpots in that game, and No. 18 among the largest jackpots in the United States.
Iowa Tickets That Came Close
In Iowa, players won more than 19,000 prizes ranging from $4 up to $50,000 in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing. One ticket came close to having at least a share of that night’s jackpot, winning a prize of $50,000 by matching four of the first five numbers and the Powerball. It was purchased at the Petro Mart, 1961 U.S. Highway 30 in Missouri Valley.
The winning numbers in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing were: 3-57-64-68-69 and Powerball 15. The Power Play number was 3.
And in Mega Millions, Iowa players won more than 28,000 prizes ranging from $2 up to $10,000 in Tuesday’s drawing. Two Iowa tickets were just one number away from having at least a share of that night’s jackpot. They won prizes of $10,000 each by matching four of the first five numbers and the Mega Ball. Those tickets were purchased at the Big 10 Mart, 121 S. 14th Ave. in Eldridge; and Fast Avenue One Stop, 2111 Park Ave. in Muscatine.
The winning numbers in Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing were: 3-45-49-61-69 and Mega Ball 9. The Megaplier number was 5.
Easy Pick vs. Manual Play
One of the biggest debates when it comes to big-jackpot games focuses on the types of plays that can be made – easy pick vs. manual play – and whether one or the other has a better chance of winning. The quick answer is that the odds of winning are the same for any ticket purchased in the games. But because they are so convenient to buy, easy picks make up the bulk of the plays.
When players buy an easy pick play, the computer in the lottery terminal randomly chooses the numbers that will be printed on the ticket. When players buy a manual play, they choose their own numbers.
More than 89 percent of the plays purchased in Iowa for Wednesday’s Powerball drawing were easy picks. And easy picks accounted for more than 93 percent of the Iowa plays purchased for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing.
Winners This Year, Predictions For This Week
The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since it was last won in late July, while the Powerball jackpot has been growing since mid-August. The Mega Millions jackpot has been won four times so far in 2018, while the Powerball jackpot has been won six times this year.
With brisk sales across the country, it is entirely possible that the estimated amount of Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot will be raised again before the drawing takes place.
Could One Person Win Both?
We’ve emphasized this point before, but we’ll do it again now: Would it be possible for one person to win the jackpots in both Mega Millions and Powerball? The short answer is: Yes. But the odds of that happening are extremely long.
It takes long odds to produce big jackpots. The odds of winning the jackpot in Mega Millions are about 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are about 1 in 292.2 million. (The odds are based upon the total number of combinations available to play in each game.)
To calculate the odds of winning both jackpots, you multiply 302.6 million by 292.2 million. The answer involves a lot of zeroes: about 1 in 88 quadrillion (that’s 88,000,000,000,000,000).
“Winning both jackpots is something fun to daydream about, but it’s probably the ultimate long shot,” Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said. “That’s why we emphasize responsible play. Have fun playing the lottery, and remember that it’s just for entertainment. There is no guarantee you will win. It only takes one ticket to have a shot at these big prizes.”
What’s Behind The Giant Numbers?
Prior to January 2010, Mega Millions and Powerball were sold by separate groups of lotteries. U.S. lottery directors reached an agreement back then that allowed both games to be sold by all lotteries. With more states selling a particular game, there is a bigger population base playing it, which produces higher sales overall and helps the jackpot climb higher.
Compare and Contrast
Powerball jackpots start at $40 million and grow until they’re won. You choose five numbers from a pool of 69 and another number – the Powerball – from a separate pool of 26. If you match all six numbers, you win the jackpot, and there also are eight other prize levels you can win. Plays cost $2 and drawings are at 9:59 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Mega Millions jackpots also start at $40 million and grow until they’re won. Players in the game choose five numbers from a pool of 70 and another number – the Mega Ball® – from a separate pool of 25 numbers. If you match all six numbers, you win the jackpot, and there are eight other prize levels you can win. Tickets cost $2 and drawings are at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Both games have a multiplier feature that costs an extra $1 per play and multiplies any non-jackpot prize won. Jackpot winners in both games can choose to receive their prize in annuitized payments over time or in a one-time, lump-sum payment.
About the Iowa Lottery: Since the lottery’s start in 1985, its players have won more than $4.2 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised nearly $1.9 billion for state programs. Today, lottery proceeds have three main purposes in Iowa. They provide support for our state’s veterans and their families through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund; help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund; and backing for the Vision Iowa program, which was implemented to create tourism destinations and community attractions in the state and build and repair schools.
