Submitted to OnFocus – MADISON, Wis. – With the Mega Millions jackpot at $750 Million and Powerball at $640 Million, the multi-state Lottery games have combined jackpots of over $1 Billion. This is the highest the combined jackpots have been since October 2018 when the dueling jackpot runs produced a $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot (South Carolina win) and a $687.8 Million Powerball jackpot (Iowa and New York wins).
The Mega Millions jackpot is the second largest jackpot in the game’s history. The estimated jackpot for the Friday, January 15 drawing is $750 Million annuity ($550.6 Million cash).
The Powerball jackpot is the fifth largest jackpot in the game’s history. The estimated jackpot for the Saturday, January 16 drawing is $640 Million annuity ($478.7 Million cash). This is the highest the Powerball jackpot has been since March 2019 when a $768.4 Million jackpot was won in Wisconsin.
This is the longest jackpot run in Powerball history. The Saturday draw is the 35th draw in the run as the jackpot was last hit in New York in September 2020.
The last jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket for the September 15, 2020 drawing was purchased by a lucky Wisconsin winner at Kwik Trip #134 (4924 Spring St.) in Mount Pleasant. This was Wisconsin’s first Mega Millions jackpot win since Wisconsin debuted the game on January 31, 2010. Wisconsin has had other big Mega Millions winners, with 64 $1 Million winning tickets purchased in the state since 2010.
In 2020, there were seven Powerball jackpot-winning tickets, with the highest jackpot being won in Florida in January ($396.2 Million). In June 2020, two Wisconsin friends from the Menomonie area split the Powerball jackpot of $22 Million with a ticket purchased at Synergy Coop Exit 45 (2100 County Rd. B) in Menomonie. The record highest Powerball jackpot ever won was $1.586 billion, which was split between three winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee. Wisconsin has produced 18 Powerball jackpot winners since the game debuted in 1992.
Mega Millions tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Mega Millions drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 p.m. Tickets must be purchased before 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday to be included in that day’s drawing. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24 and the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. Megaplier does not apply to the jackpot.
The overall odds of winning a Powerball prize are 1 in 24.9 and the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338. Powerball drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9:59 p.m. Tickets must be purchased before 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday to be included in that day’s drawing. Powerball tickets are $2 per play with the option to purchase the Power Play feature for an additional dollar which could increase potential winnings. The 10x multiplier is only in play when the advertised annuity jackpot is $150 Million or less.
