Mega Millions lottery jackpot raised to $447 million on strong sales

Jan 5, 2021, 1:49 pm (29 comments)

Mega Millions

6th-largest cash value in game's history

By Todd Northrop

Lottery officials announced today that the jackpot for tonight's Mega Millions drawing has been raised from $432 million to $447 million, as a result of rapid sales.

The Mega Millions jackpot has grown since Sep. 18 and has rolled 31 times, starting at $20 million.

Mega Millions offers two jackpot payment options: the $447 million annuity prize paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual graduated payments, or the cash option, which is $339.6 million. (Before today's jackpot increase the cash value was $329.7 million.)

The huge Mega Millions grand prize comes at a time when Powerball is also reaching stratospheric heights, currently standing at $410 million for Wednesday night's drawing.

"Seeing two drawings with two life-changing jackpots of this size at the same time is exciting," said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. "This is only the third time in the history of these two games that they have simultaneously offered jackpots larger than $400 million."

At $857 million, this is the highest combined jackpot total for Mega Millions and Powerball since October 2018.

Tickets typically remain on sale until around 10:45 pm Eastern Time, although players should check with a lottery retailer in their state for the exact sales cutoff time. (Every state is different.)  Players are strongly advised not to wait until the last minute.

Players looking for a nearby lottery retailer — or that out-of-the-way retailer with a smaller line — are encouraged to use Lottery Places, an app for iOS, Android, and Windows that can locate the nearest lottery retailers in every jurisdiction that sells Powerball and Mega Millions. The helpful app can locate lottery retailers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, much of Canada, and the Caribbean.

The odds of winning the jackpot are approximately 1 in 302 million. The odds of winning any of the Mega Millions prizes are 1 in 24.

Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each. For an extra $1 per ticket players can purchase the Megaplier option, which multiplies any non-jackpot won by up to 5 times, depending on the Megaplier number drawn that evening.

The only state that does not offer the Megaplier is California, because state law banning fixed lottery prize amounts is not compatible with the fixed nature of the Megaplier payouts.

Lottery players can see an after-tax analysis of the current Mega Millions jackpot by visiting USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page.

Mega Millions features nine different prize levels, ranging from $2 all the way up to the jackpot. Players can win even if they just match one number — the Mega Ball number.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

The following list actually shows the top 29 lottery jackpots of all time in order to include this week's Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots, which currently stand as the 21st- and 29th-largest lottery jackpots of all time in the United States.

  1. Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
  2. Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
  3. Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
  4. Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
  5. Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
  6. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  7. Mega Millions: $636 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
  8. Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 (13 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Florida
  9. Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Arizona, Missouri
  10. Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  11. Powerball: $559.7 million, Jan. 6, 2018 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Hampshire
  12. Mega Millions: $543 million, Jul. 24, 2018 (22 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
  13. Mega Millions: $536 million, Jul. 8, 2016 (34 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Indiana
  14. Mega Millions: $533 million, Mar. 30, 2018 (23 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Jersey
  15. Mega Millions: $522 million, Jun. 7, 2019 (24 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
  16. Powerball: $487 million, Jul. 30, 2016 (23 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Hampshire
  17. Powerball: $456.7 million, Mar. 17, 2018 (19 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Pennsylvania
  18. Mega Millions: $451 million, Jan. 5, 2018 (23 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Florida
  19. Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 (12 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
  20. Powerball: $447.8 million, Jun. 10, 2017 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
  21. Mega Millions: $447 million, Jan. 5, 2021 (31 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  22. Powerball: $435.3 million, Feb. 22, 2017 (18 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Indiana
  23. Powerball: $429.6 million, May 7, 2016 (18 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Jersey
  24. Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
  25. Mega Millions: $425 million, Jan. 1, 2019 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New York
  26. Powerball: $420.9 million, Nov. 26, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $10 million) - Tennessee
  27. Mega Millions: $414 million, Jun. 9, 2020 (33 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Arizona
  28. Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 (20 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Florida, Maryland
  29. Powerball: $410 million, Jan. 6, 2021 (31 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet

For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

  • Powerball: 15
  • Mega Millions: 10

Top 25 cash value jackpots

Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.

Looking at the cash values, the upcoming Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots respectively rank as the 14th- and 19th-largest cash values in U.S. history.

  1. Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
  2. Mega Millions: $877.8 million cash, Oct. 23, 2018 ($1.537 billion annuity) - South Carolina
  3. Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
  4. Powerball: $476.9 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
  5. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  6. Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
  7. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
  8. Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  9. Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
  10. Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
  11. Powerball: $352 million cash, Jan. 6, 2018 ($559.7 million annuity) - New Hampshire
  12. Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($636 million annuity) - California, Georgia
  13. Mega Millions: $340 million cash, Jun. 7, 2019 ($522 million annuity) - California
  14. Mega Millions: $339.6 million cash, Jan. 5, 2021 ($447 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  15. Powerball: $336.8 million cash, Jul. 30, 2016 ($487 million annuity) - New Hampshire
  16. Mega Millions: $324 million cash, Mar. 30, 2018 ($533 million annuity) - New Jersey
  17. Mega Millions: $320.5 million cash, Jul. 24, 2018 ($543 million annuity) - California
  18. Mega Millions: $319.9 million cash, Jun. 9, 2020 ($414 million annuity) - Arizona
  19. Powerball: $316.4 million cash, Jan. 6, 2021 ($410 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
  20. Powerball: $284 million cash, May 7, 2016 ($429.6 million annuity) - New Jersey
  21. Mega Millions: $281.9 million cash, Jan. 5, 2018 ($451 million annuity) - Florida
  22. Powerball: $279.1 million cash, Jun. 10, 2017 ($447.8 million annuity) - California
  23. Powerball: $276.5 million cash, Jan. 29, 2020 ($396.9 million annuity) - Florida
  24. Powerball: $273.9 million cash, Mar. 17, 2018 ($456.7 million annuity) - Pennsylvania
  25. Powerball: $263.5 million cash, Feb. 22, 2017 ($435.3 million annuity) - Indiana

The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

  • Powerball: 15
  • Mega Millions: 10

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

noise-gate

Ooo- lm in! I like this trend, l could so get used to it. Thanks for the updates Chief.

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

That would be a nice tidy sum!

EnReval

We finally making some moves! Good luck

Droptop209's avatarDroptop209

Frenzy time,  Let's see how big it gets

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Bleudog101

Am I correct that this is the first time an increase went into effect just before the nightly drawing with the new changes to MM?  I'm talking about lower starting jackpots and incrementally slow increases in between drawings.

Rexer90

Looks to me like it's time to return to pre-covid rollovers for both MM & PB.

MsBee18

These games are too difficult to win. Buy a ticket or two and dream. I have mines. 

weshar75's avatarweshar75

I would like a rollover tonight to Friday night for another shot at the jackpot please!-weshar75

US Flag

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by weshar75 on Jan 5, 2021

I would like a rollover tonight to Friday night for another shot at the jackpot please!-weshar75

US Flag

you got your wish 😏

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by MsBee18 on Jan 5, 2021

These games are too difficult to win. Buy a ticket or two and dream. I have mines. 

been playing a long time and get sick of buying losers, but play for fun not trying to have it all in one shot

Ranett's avatarRanett

I'd be happy with 3 numbers once in a while, can't even get that anymore.

Todd's avatarTodd

Wow, someone in California just took the Mega Millions second prize "jackpot" that's been growing for along time — worth $2,390,663!  (https://www.usamega.com/mega-millions/drawing/2021/1/5)

Powerball's second prize "jackpot" is now sitting at an incredible $3,584,739, which should be more than $4 million by draw time. (https://www.usamega.com/powerball/drawing/2021/1/2)  If I lived in California I'd be going all-in on Powerball at this point.

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Quote: Originally posted by weshar75 on Jan 5, 2021

I would like a rollover tonight to Friday night for another shot at the jackpot please!-weshar75

US Flag

Your wish has been granted !!!

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