Struggling to decide between Powerball and Mega Millions? You’re not alone. These two behemoths of the U.S. lottery scene both boast jaw-dropping jackpots, and millions of hopeful players each week. So, which one should you play? Well, let’s delve deeper into the Powerball vs Mega Millions debate and find out!
Powerball, one of the most popular U.S lottery games
Powerball is a US lottery game that began in 1992 and is available in 45 states, plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. To play Powerball you must choose five white balls from a set of 69 and one red ball (Powerball) from a set of 26. You can select your own numbers or go for a Quick Pick, letting the system generate random numbers.
The Powerball jackpot starts at $20 million and increases with every draw until is won. The largest Powerball jackpot ever was $2.04 billion, which was won by a single player in California in 2022.
Powerball offers 9 different ways to win, so even if you don’t hit the jackpot, you still have other chances to win a prize.
Mega Millions, also popular and played in 45 states
Mega Millions, on the other hand, debuted in 1996 and is also played in 45 states, including Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands. To play Mega Millions you need to select five white balls from a pool of 70 and one gold ball (Mega Ball) from a pool of 25. And like Powerball, you can choose your numbers or go for a random Quick Pick.
The starting jackpot for Mega Millions is also $20 million, which increases with each draw until a winner emerges. The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever was $1.6 billions.
Powerball vs Mega Millions: which U.S. lottery game is the best?
Now that we know the basics, let’s move on to our main topic… Powerball vs. Mega Millions. Which one is better?
Powerball vs Mega Millions: Prizes
Let’s dive into the Powerball vs. Mega Millions debate starting with the main event: The Prizes! Both lotteries are renowned for their massive jackpots and incredible rewards, but do you know which one offers the best prizes?
Powerball made history with a jaw-dropping jackpot of $2.04 billion, a record-breaking moment in the United States and worldwide. This staggering sum was claimed by a fortunate player in California on November 7, 2022.
But don’t underestimate Mega Millions. The largest Mega Millions jackpot reached $1.6 billion, making it as the 3rd largest jackpot in the country. A lucky player in Florida struck it rich on August 8, 2023. Discover who the biggest Mega Millions winners are here.
The rules for winning Powerball and Mega Millions are the same. To secure the jackpot, you must match the five main numbers and the extra ball.
In addition to the jackpot, both lotteries offer 8 different prize levels. These prizes also share the same number matching requirements. However, although the rules are the same, the value of the prizes is different.
Here is a list of Mega Millions and Powerball prizes and how to win them.
| Match | Powerball Prizes | Mega Millions Prizes |
| 5 Numbers + Extra Ball | Jackpot | Jackpot |
| 5 Numbers | $1 Million | $1 Million |
| 4 Numbers + Extra Ball | $50,000 | $10,000 |
| 4 Numbers | $100 | $500 |
| 3 Numbers + Extra Ball | $100 | $200 |
| 3 Numbers | $7 | $10 |
| 2 Numbers + Extra Ball | $7 | $10 |
| 1 Number + Extra Ball | $4 | $4 |
| Extra Ball | $4 | $2 |
Powerball vs Mega Millions: Odds of winning
When it comes to the odds of winning the jackpot, Powerball has a slight advantage. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338. While the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are slightly higher at 1 in 302,575,350.
However, when we look at the overall odds of winning a prize, Mega Millions comes out on top with odds of 1 in 24 compared to Powerball’s odds of 1 in 24.9.
Here is a breakdown of the Powerball and Mega Millions odds:
| Match | Powerball Odds | Mega Millions Odds |
| 5 Numbers + Extra Ball | 1 in 292,201,338.00 | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| 5 Numbers | 1 in 11,688,053.52 | 1 in 12,607,306 |
| 4 Numbers + Extra Ball | 1 in 913,129.18 | 1 in 931,001 |
| 4 Numbers | 1 in 36,525.17 | 1 in 38,792 |
| 3 Numbers + Extra Ball | 1 in 14,494.11 | 1 in 14,547 |
| 3 Numbers | 1 in 579.76 | 1 in 606 |
| 2 Numbers + Extra Ball | 1 in 701.33 | 1 in 693 |
| 1 Number + Extra Ball | 1 in 91.98 | 1 in 89 |
| Extra Ball | 1 in 38.32 | 1 in 37 |
Powerball vs Mega Millions: Multipliers
In both games, you have the option to add a multiplier for $1 more and increase your winnings. Mega Millions calls this extra feature “Megaplier” and Powerball calls it “Power Play”. These multipliers can increase your winnings (excluding the jackpot) by up to 5 times.
Now Powerball also has a special 10x multiplier, but this is only available when the jackpot is under $150 million. The Powerball and Mega Millions multipliers are chosen randomly during the drawing.
There is another important difference between the Powerball and Mega Millions multipliers. The Megaplier multiplies all secondary prizes, including the second prize. So a player who wins the second prize could take home $5 million if the Megaplier is 5x.
Power Play, on the other hand, multiplies all secondary prizes except the second prize. The maximum second prize, regardless of the Power Play selected, is $2 million.
Powerball vs Mega Millions: Game Availability
Powerball is available in 45 states plus Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Mega Millions is available in 45 states plus Washington, DC, and the Virgin Islands.
Powerball vs Mega Millions: Drawings
The Powerball drawings are every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.
The Mega Millions drawings are every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m (ET).
Powerball vs Mega Millions: Ticket Prices and Extras
Both games cost about $2 per play and offer a $1 multiplier feature.
Powerball vs. Mega Millions: A side-by-side comparison
Let’s compare and contrast all the features of these popular U.S lottery games.
| Powerball | Mega Millions | |
| How to play | Select 5 numbers from 1-69 Select 1 Powerball from 1-26 | Select 5 numbers from 1-70 Select 1 Mega Ball from 1-25 |
| Starting Jackpot | $20 million | $20 million |
| Record Jackpot | $2.04 billion | $1.6 billion |
| Odds of win the jackpot | 1 in 292,201,338. | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| Odds of win any prize | 1 in 24.9 | 1 in 24 |
| Cost of tickets | $2 | $2 |
| Extra ticket feature (multiplier) | $1 | $1 |
| Highest Multiplier | 10x | 5x |
| Availability | 45 states plus Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands | 45 states plus Washington, DC, and the Virgin Islands |
Draw days | Monday, Wednesday, Saturday | Tuesday, Friday |
Summing up…
What, you still can’t decide which of these two lotteries to play? Well, there are several factors to consider when choosing between Powerball and Megamillions:
Odds of winning:
If you are only interested in the odds of winning the jackpot, Powerball offers slightly better odds. However, Mega Millions has better overall odds of winning any prize.
Jackpot size:
Both lotteries offer massive jackpots starting at $20 million. However, Powerball holds the record for the largest jackpot in history.
Game Availability:
Powerball is available in one more jurisdiction than Mega Millions, making it slightly more accessible.
Ticket Price and Extras:
Both games cost $2 per play and offer a $1 multiplier feature.
Drawing Days:
The Powerball drawing is held three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday), while the Mega Million drawing is held twice a week (Tuesday and Friday).
The truth is that both games are amazing. So choose the one that best suits your playing style and preferences. In the end, the important thing is that you have fun and enjoy the experience.
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