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The two largest multi-state lottery games in the United States both cost around half a million dollars each, which is a rarity. This is only the third time in history that the Mega Millions and Powerball games have passed the $ 400 million mark at the same time, and the first time since 2018.
The 8/1/21 Mega Millions jackpot on Friday is worth $ 510 million, with a cash option worth $ 377.4 million. The 9/1/21 Powerball jackpot on Saturday is worth around $ 470 million, with a cash option worth $ 362.7 million.
The total sum of the two jackpots is $ 980 million, with the spot options totaling $ 740.1 million. This is not bad luck – for anyone.
Here’s a look at some crazy numbers on that amount. If you were to stack $ 100 bills on top of each other until they reached the top of One World Trade Center in New York City, that would be $ 500 million, according to the Powerball website. Friday night’s Mega Millions jackpot would surpass that alone, and the Powerball jackpot would come close.
What if the $ 980 million was collectively won by the luckiest person in the world? Well, a stack of $ 100 bills could reach the top of Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower), if two of those towers were stacked on top of each other.
That’s a lot of money.
The Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are higher than all their winnings in calendar year 2020. Before showing you the short rules of each game, we’re going to show you the insane odds of winning one of the great lottery games.
You have a better chance of being struck by lightning 250 times before you win either jackpot, according to the National Weather Service. You are 30,000 times more likely to injure yourself in the bathroom (according to the CDC) and 80 times more likely to die from a shark attack (Florida Shark Museum).
But someone will win it eventually, right?
Photo credit should read ERIC BARADAT / AFP via Getty Images
The latest Mega Millions jackpot winner came from a ticket sold in Wisconsin on 9/15/20 for a jackpot worth $ 119 million. This was only the fifth Mega Millions jackpot won in calendar year 2020.
Here are the five Mega Millions jackpots won in 2020:
- $ 119 million – September 15 in Wisconsin
- $ 22 million – July 31 in California
- $ 124 million – July 24 in New Jersey
- $ 410 million – June 9 in Arizona
- $ 202 million – February 11 in New Jersey
The last winning Powerball ticket was sold on August 12, 2020 for a jackpot worth $ 169 million. This ticket was sold in Florida.
There were only five Powerball Grand Prize winners in 2020 as well, and here they are:
- $ 169 million – August 12 in Florida
- $ 22 million – June 10 in Wisconsin
- $ 190 million – April 8 in New Jersey
- $ 70 million – February 12 in Michigan
- $ 394 million – January in Florida
Normally, each game would be reset to a minimum of $ 40 million, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced Powerball officials to halve the minimum jackpot, which started with the jackpots on 11/04/20.
Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery every Tuesday and Friday night, and it’s one of the two biggest jackpot lottery games in America. Mega Millions jackpots start at $ 20 million and other prizes pay $ 1 to $ 2 million or more with a Megaplier. Tickets cost $ 2 per line and the odds of winning with a $ 2 Mega Millions ticket are one in 303 million. For more information on Mega Millions, or to check your past numbers, visit their website.
Powerball is the other multi-state lottery, and it starts at $ 20 million as well. Its draws take place shortly after 11 p.m. ET on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Here is the Powerball website for more information or to check past winning numbers.
There are nine ways to earn money during Powerball. Just getting the powerball without another number earns $ 4, and even more if the power set is bought for an extra dollar. The same payout goes for a ball plus the powerball, and $ 7 is the payout for two correct numbers with the powerball, or three correct numbers and no powerballs.
If all five numbered white balls are chosen but the red powerball is not correct, then the payout is $ 1 million, with an even higher payout if the power play is chosen.
Just a month ago, on December 8, 2020, the combo jackpots had just hit over $ 500 million combined. Now the two are each above or near that mark.
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