Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots at combined $999 million
DES MOINES, Iowa — Did someone say $1 billion in jackpots? The combined Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots for drawings Tuesday and Wednesday nights total $999 million.
The fourth-biggest grand prize in U.S. lottery history will be on the line Tuesday night when the numbers are drawn for the Mega Millions game's estimated $654 million jackpot. It's the second-largest in Mega Millions history.
It got that enormous because no one's won the jackpot since July 24, when a group of 11 co-workers in Santa Clara County, Calif., split a $543 million prize.
The $654 million would be the payout if a winner selects for the annuity option, paid out over 29 years. The cash option, which is favored by nearly all winners, is $372 million.
The odds of matching all six numbers and becoming instantly wealthy are incredibly small-- one in 302.5 million.
Meanwhile, the Powerball jackpot up for grabs Wednesday night will be a cool $345 million, with a cash value of $199 million.
The largest jackpot in Mega Millions history was a $656 million prize that was shared by winners from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland in March 2012.
The largest Powerball jackpot was $1.586 billion, which was shared by winners in California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016.
Mega Millions is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
