Mega Millions and Powerball are the two biggest lottery games in the United States. Both games offer incredibly large jackpot prizes in the hundreds of millions of dollars. With such enormous potential winnings up for grabs, it’s no wonder that so many people try their luck on these lottery games. But which one is ultimately better to play – Mega Millions or Powerball? There are several factors to consider when deciding which game gives you better odds and bigger payouts. In this comprehensive comparison, we’ll analyze the key differences between Mega Millions and Powerball and determine which lottery offers the best chance of winning big.
How Mega Millions and Powerball Work
First, let’s review the basics of how both lottery games work.
Mega Millions
Mega Millions is played in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To play, you pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers:
- Five numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls)
- One number from 1 to 25 (the gold Mega Ball)
You can choose your six numbers manually or select Easy Pick for randomly generated numbers.
To win the Mega Millions jackpot, you must match all six numbers drawn from both pools. There are also eight other prize tiers based on matching some or all of the white balls plus the Mega Ball. The minimum Mega Millions jackpot starts at $40 million and grows until someone wins it.
Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday evening at 11 p.m. ET. Ticket sales cut off between 1-2 hours before the drawing, depending on the state.
Powerball
Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The game involves choosing numbers from two sets of balls:
- Five numbers from 1 to 69 (the white balls)
- One number from 1 to 26 (the red Powerball)
You can choose your own numbers or go with a Quick Pick random selection.
To win the Powerball jackpot prize, you need to match all six numbers. There are eight other lower prize tiers based on matching some numbers without the Powerball or matching just the Powerball. The minimum Powerball jackpot starts at $40 million and continues growing until someone wins.
Drawings take place every Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. Sales cut off 1-2 hours before the scheduled drawing, varying by jurisdiction.
So in summary, both Mega Millions and Powerball involve picking six numbers total – five main numbers and one secondary number. The main way to win the jackpot is by hitting all six winning numbers. Lower prizes are won by matching some of the numbers. Drawings occur twice a week for both games.
Now let’s compare some key factors to determine if the odds, prizes, and other details differ between Mega Millions vs Powerball.
Mega Millions vs Powerball Key Factors
Odds of Winning Jackpot
The odds of winning the jackpot are extremely long for both lottery games – that’s how the prizes can grow so massive. But Mega Millions does have slightly better odds compared to Powerball.
The odds for winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.
The odds for winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338.
So you are somewhat more likely to hit the Mega Millions jackpot than the Powerball jackpot, although both are still very improbable.
Odds of Winning Any Prize
Looking beyond just the jackpot, your overall chances of winning any prize are slightly better in Powerball than Mega Millions.
The odds for winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24.
The odds for winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 24.87.
While the jackpot odds favor Mega Millions, your overall odds across all the prize levels are slightly more favorable for Powerball.
How Jackpots Grow
Both lotteries have minimum starting jackpots of $40 million, but they use different formulas for how the prizes grow.
Mega Millions jackpots increase by at least $5 million between drawings if no one wins. The pace of growth depends on ticket sales – the more tickets bought for a particular drawing, the bigger the jump in jackpot size.
Powerball jackpot increases are guaranteed to be at least $10 million between rollovers. This prize increase is not dependent on sales, so you know the bump up will be at least $10 million after every drawing without a winner.
Over time, this typically results in Powerball jackpots growing somewhat faster and higher than Mega Millions jackpots. But Mega Millions can sometimes have bigger increases between drawings if ticket sales spike.
Jackpot Payment Options
Both games give you a choice in how you receive your jackpot prize – either through annual annuity payments over 29 years or as a one-time lump sum payment.
For Mega Millions, the annuity option gets you your share of the prize split into 30 graduated payments over 29 years. The payments increase by 5% each year.
The Powerball annuity option pays out your share of the jackpot in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, with increases of about 4% each year.
If you take the cash option for either lottery, you get a one-time payment equal to the game’s jackpot prize pool. The annuity value is often higher than the cash value, so you get more money overall by taking the annual payments. But with the lump sum, you get immediate access to your winnings.
Number Pool Sizes
As noted earlier, Mega Millions chooses winning numbers from two pools, while Powerball uses two pools. The size of these pools impacts the odds.
The Mega Millions white balls are drawn from a pool of 70 numbers (1-70). For the Mega Ball, 25 numbers are available (1-25).
Powerball chooses its five main numbers from a pool of 69 (1-69). Its secondary red Powerball is selected from a pool of 26 numbers (1-26).
The smaller pool sizes in Mega Millions makes the odds of matching all six a bit better compared to Powerball’s larger number pools.
Cost of Tickets
Mega Millions and Powerball have the same price per ticket:
– $2 per play
You can add the Megaplier (Mega Millions) or Power Play (Powerball) options for an extra $1 per ticket to increase your non-jackpot prizes. Overall ticket costs are identical between the two lotteries.
Tax Withholding on Prizes
Both games automatically withhold taxes from prizes above a certain threshold:
– Mega Millions – Withholds taxes for prizes of $5,000 or more.
– Powerball – Withholds taxes for prizes of $5,000 or more.
The lottery organizers remit the withheld taxes to the IRS and applicable state taxing authorities. Winners are responsible for any additional taxes owed when they file their returns.
So Mega Millions and Powerball handle taxes on prizes consistently.
Where the Lotteries Are Played
Mega Millions and Powerball are both available in 45 U.S. states. Powerball is also played in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C. Mega Millions is not offered in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, but you can play it in Washington D.C.
The five states that do not offer either lottery are:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Nevada
- Utah
So Mega Millions has slightly wider availability than Powerball based on being offered in the District of Columbia. ButPowerball has a minimal edge by also being played in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the vast majority of states, however, residents have access to both games.
Largest Jackpots in History
Both lotteries have delivered some incredibly massive jackpots over the years. Here are the top five biggest historical jackpots for each game:
Biggest Mega Millions Jackpots
| Amount | Date |
| $1.537 billion | October 2018 |
| $1.050 billion | January 2021 |
| $656 million | March 2012 |
| $648 million | December 2013 |
| $543 million | July 2018 |
Biggest Powerball Jackpots
| Amount | Date |
| $1.586 billion | January 2016 |
| $768.4 million | March 2019 |
| $758.7 million | August 2017 |
| $731.1 million | January 2021 |
| $699.8 million | October 2021 |
Based on these historical records, Powerball has delivered larger jackpots compared to Mega Millions over the years. This includes the world record $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot hit in January 2016. However, Mega Millions has still produced exceptionally high jackpots in the hundreds of millions.
Key Similarities Between the Lotteries
Despite some differences, Mega Millions and Powerball share these core similarities:
– Both games cost $2 per ticket, with the option to add on extras like Megaplier and Power Play for an additional $1.
– The prize structures are the same – one jackpot prize and eight secondary prize tiers. Matching 3 numbers or 2 numbers + Mega Ball / Powerball wins a prize.
– For both lotteries, you must be at least 18 to buy tickets.
– The odds of winning any prize are similar at around 1 in 24-25 for Powerball and Mega Millions.
– Drawings occur twice per week, on Tuesday/Friday for Mega Millions and Wednesday/Saturday for Powerball.
– Games are available in 45 of the 50 U.S. states, with most jurisdictions offering both lotteries.
– Taxes are automatically withheld from prizes above $5,000 for both games.
So while some details around the jackpots, number pools, and odds differ slightly, the general gameplay and structures of Mega Millions and Powerball are very similar.
Pros and Cons of Mega Millions vs Powerball
Based on the comparisons above, here are the key pros and cons for each lottery game:
Mega Millions Pros
- Better odds of winning the jackpot prize (1 in 302 million) compared to Powerball
- Can potentially see larger jackpot increases between drawings if ticket sales spike
- Smaller number pool lowers the odds versus Powerball’s larger pool
- Available for play in Washington D.C. in addition to 45 states
Mega Millions Cons
- Overall odds of winning any prize slightly lower than Powerball (1 in 24 vs 1 in 24.87)
- Jackpots tend to grow at a slower pace and reach lower amounts than Powerball’s
- Not offered in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands
- Has produced lower record jackpots compared to Powerball historically
Powerball Pros
- Jackpots increase by at least $10 million after each drawing, resulting in faster growth
- Better overall odds of winning a prize across all levels (1 in 24.87)
- Availability in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in addition to 45 states
- Higher record jackpots historically including the world record $1.586 billion prize
Powerball Cons
- Worse jackpot odds of 1 in 292 million compared to Mega Millions
- Has larger number pools which slightly decreases odds
- Not offered for play in Washington D.C.
- Jackpot resets to lower minimum of $40 million after a win
So in summary, Mega Millions has slightly better jackpot odds specifically while Powerball tends to produce bigger prize pools overall. But the lottery games are quite similar in most aspects.
Final Verdict: Which Lottery Is Better?
There are excellent reasons to play both Mega Millions and Powerball lotteries. The huge jackpots can be life changing, and the secondary prizes offer additional ways to win serious money. However, if choosing to play just one game, Powerball appears to have a slight overall edge.
Powerball jackpots grow more quickly and have historically reached record dollar amounts compared to Mega Millions. The odds of winning across all prize levels are also marginally better. While Mega Millions offers slightly better jackpot odds specifically, Powerball’s larger number pool drives huge jackpots.
Powerball also has barely wider availability by being offered in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, Mega Millions remains accessible to play in approximately the same 45 U.S. states plus Washington D.C. So Powerball ultimately gets a small advantage based on the potential for larger prizes.
Of course, anything can happen in lottery drawings, and Mega Millions could produce a new record jackpot anytime. But statistically speaking, your top prize chances look somewhat more favorable overall by buying Powerball tickets. Just be sure to play responsibly and within your budget.
In the end, lotteries like Mega Millions and Powerball come down to random luck. But tilting the probabilities a little in your favor can make playing Powerball the optimal choice if deciding between the two. With jackpots starting at a minimum $40 million and frequently far higher, Powerball offers life-changing money and better long run odds for shooting for the jackpot.