Powerball, Mega Millions combined jackpots near $900 million
Powerball jackpot stood at $468M, Mega Millions at $395M
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The jackpots of the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries have reached $863 million combined, heading into drawings Friday and Saturday evenings after weeks of no individual winners for the top prize.
For Mega Millions, which draws on Friday evening, the annuitized jackpot was estimated at $395 million. The cash option is $188.2 million.
An image of a Mega Millions form from the California Lottery. (Justin Sullivan/File / Getty Images)
Saturday's Powerball jackpot came to its current level – an estimated $468 million – after its most recent drawing on Wednesday evening brought no grand prize winner. The annuity option, which is also available for Mega Millions, represents annual payments over three decades.
It had a value of $220.3 million as a single, lump-sum cash value, according to the lottery.
Mega Millions and Powerball have also seen their respective grand prizes climb above the billion-dollar mark. (Hannah Beier/File / Reuters Photos)
The grand prizes for the lotteries come in at a combined $408.5 million on a lump-sum basis.
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Powerball's last drawing had one Match 5 winner in California worth $1 million and zero Match 5 + Power Play winners, which could have scored $2 million apiece.
With the holiday season upon us, any potential winners would celebrate a Christmas or Hanukkah windfall as inflation remains elevated for most of the country.
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Forms to pick numbers for Powerball are on display in a store on Oct. 4, 2023, in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Mega Millions and Powerball have also seen their respective grand prizes climb above the billion-dollar mark. Most recently, in mid-October, someone in Southern California had a ticket with numbers matching those drawn by the latter for a $1.765 billion jackpot, landing them the massive windfall, according to Powerball.
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In August, a player won the Mega Millions $1.602 billion jackpot. That grand prize, won in Florida, was claimed in late September.