Mega Millions, Powerball jackpots over $400 million for third time in history

Published 10:37 am Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

North Carolinians have two chances to take home a jackpot of more than $400 million in this week’s Powerball and Mega Millions drawings.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since the Sept. 15 drawing when a $120 million jackpot was won with a ticket sold in Wisconsin.

The estimated annuity jackpot for Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing is $432 million as an annuity prize, making it the 10th-largest in the game’s history. The estimated cash value is $329.7 million.

Get the latest headlines sent to you

The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million.

North Carolinians also have a chance at a big jackpot win in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing. The Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $410 million as an annuity prize or $316.4 million cash.

This is the highest the Powerball jackpot has been since March 2019 when a $768.4 million jackpot was won in Wisconsin. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

“Seeing two drawings with two life-changing jackpots of this size at the same time is exciting,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the North Carolina 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 $842 million, this is the highest combined jackpot total for Mega Millions and Powerball since October 2018.

Both games offer other ways to win besides the jackpot. For $2 tickets, Mega Millions prizes range from $2 to $1 million and Powerball prizes range from $4 to $1 million.

Players can buy $2 Powerball or Mega Millions tickets at any lottery retail location, through online play on the lottery’s website, www.nclottery.com, or by using the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.

Ticket sales from both games help raise money for education. Since both jackpots started rolling in September, tickets sales have raised an estimated $23.4 million for education programs in North Carolina.

For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.

READ ABOUT MORE NEWS AND EVENTS HERE.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Marshall H. Ellis recognized as board certified specialist in federal and state criminal law

Sharon Bell retires after 36 years at Southern Shores Realty