Lottery jackpots have exploded in dimension during the last decade.
When Powerball introduced in 1992, the primary jackpot used to be $5.9 million, in keeping with the Multi-State Lottery Affiliation. Now, the most important Powerball jackpot on report used to be the $2.04 billion prize gained on Nov. 7, 2022.
Mega Tens of millions adopted a an identical trail. Its first jackpot winner in 2002 took house $28 million. Its report prize — a $1.602 billion jackpot gained on Aug. 8, 2023 — ranks because the fourth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. historical past.
Twelve out of the 20 greatest jackpots have happened since 2023.
Listed below are the most important U.S. jackpot wins:
Most effective 5 states do not promote lottery tickets: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.
Whilst the prizes are large, the chances of successful nonetheless stay extraordinarily low. Over the past 3 a long time, each video games had been redesigned more than one instances. Adjustments have driven jackpots upper whilst additionally including extra tactics for gamers to win smaller prizes.
Powerball gamers make a choice 5 numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball quantity from 1 to 26. In 2015, Powerball larger its choice of white balls from 59 to 69 and its choice of crimson balls diminished from 35 to 26.
Sooner than the exchange, the chances of successful the jackpot have been 1 in 175.2 million and the entire odds of successful any prize have been 1 in 31.85. After the redesign, the jackpot odds turned into steeper, 1 in 292.2 million, whilst the entire odds of successful a prize advanced to one in 24.9, in keeping with the Multi-State Lottery Affiliation.
Mega Tens of millions calls for gamers to select 5 other numbers from one to 70 and one Mega Ball quantity from one to 24. A price tag wins the jackpot through matching all six numbers in a drawing.
In 2025, Mega Tens of millions modified its video games to a bigger beginning jackpot ($50 million vs. $20 million), which “advanced odds to win the jackpot and advanced general odds,” in keeping with Dan Miller, a spokesperson for Mega Tens of millions.
“Everybody who wins is successful extra as a result of the embedded multiplier within the new sport that takes all non-jackpot prizes and multiplies them through 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X,” Miller mentioned in an e-mail. Thru Friday, Dec. 5, he mentioned, “there were 70 drawings within the new sport. In that point, gamers have gained $531 million in non-jackpot prizes. Within the previous sport, those self same prizes would had been valued at $119.8 million. That is a 343% build up in participant winnings.”
As an example, beneath the previous laws, matching simply the Mega Ball used to be a break-even end result: a $2 price tag earned a $2 prize. Beneath the brand new sport, that very same fit now comes with a integrated multiplier. The minimal prize is $5, which is then multiplied — which means a participant can now win $10, $15, $20, $25 and even $50 as a substitute of simply $2.
The chances to win the jackpot advanced from 1 in 302.6 million to 1 in 290.5 million. That is as a result of Mega Tens of millions getting rid of the only gold Mega Ball from the sport, Miller mentioned.
The brand new sport has 24 Mega Balls as a substitute of 25, which improves the chances of selecting the correct mixtures of numbers to win the jackpot. The entire odds to win any prize went from 1 in 24 to one in 23.
There is more cash in play as neatly: Powerball larger the cost of a price tag from $1 to $2 in 2012. Mega Tens of millions larger its price tag costs from $1 to $2 in 2017 and from $2 to $5 in April of this yr.
