TLDR
- Powerball jackpot rises to $240 million with $107.4M cash option
- Latest Powerball numbers: 1, 20, 36, 38, 43, Powerball: 24
- Mega Millions jackpot at $62 million with $27.4M cash option
- Mega Millions numbers: 20, 24, 33, 39, 48, Megaball: 18
- Recent $1 billion+ Mega Millions winner in California (Dec 27)
American lottery players now have a chance at combined jackpots totaling more than $300 million across two major games, with Powerball offering $240 million and Mega Millions reaching $62 million in their latest drawings.
The Powerball jackpot climbed to $240 million after Monday’s drawing failed to produce a grand prize winner. Players who match all numbers in the next drawing can opt for a one-time cash payment of $107.4 million instead of the full annuitized amount.
In the January 8 Powerball drawing, the winning numbers were 1, 20, 36, 38, 43, with a Powerball of 24 and a Power Play multiplier of 2X. While the jackpot remained unclaimed, four players across the country won $50,000 prizes.
The year 2024 proved notable for Powerball, with nine jackpot winners throughout the year. The largest prize came in April when a $1.3 billion jackpot was claimed by three players in Oregon, including one cancer survivor.
The most recent Powerball success story occurred in December when a ticket sold in New York matched all numbers for a $256 million prize.
Meanwhile, the Mega Millions game offers players a $62 million jackpot for upcoming drawings, with a cash option of $27.4 million. The January 7 drawing numbers were 20, 24, 33, 39, 48, with a Megaball of 18 and a Megaplier of 2X.
Mega Millions recently celebrated a major win when a California player claimed a jackpot exceeding $1 billion on December 27. This win marked one of only four Mega Millions jackpots awarded in 2024, representing the lowest number of grand prize winners in a single year since the game’s inception in 2002.
In the most recent Mega Millions drawing, while no one claimed the jackpot, a player in Michigan won the Match 5 prize of $1 million.
Both games maintain similar playing structures, requiring participants to purchase tickets from authorized retailers such as convenience stores, gas stations, or grocery stores. Many states now also offer online purchasing options through official lottery platforms or approved digital couriers.
Powerball drawings occur three times weekly, with the next scheduled for Saturday, January 11. Mega Millions holds drawings twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The odds of winning vary between the two games, but both require matching all numbers drawn, including the special ball (Powerball or Megaball), to claim the top prize.
Players can increase their potential winnings in both games through multiplier options – Power Play for Powerball and Megaplier for Mega Millions – which multiply non-jackpot prizes by the number drawn.
Both games maintain detailed records of winners and prize distributions on their respective websites, allowing players to check historical data and previous winning combinations.
The combined $302 million in available jackpots represents one of the larger combined totals for early January, though it falls well short of historical records for both games.
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