Mega Millions And Powerball Jackpots At Combined $999 Million
SAN JOSE (CBS SF/AP) -- Did someone say $1 billion in jackpots? The combined Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots for drawings Tuesday and Wednesday nights total $999 million.
The fourth-biggest grand prize in U.S. lottery history will be on the line Tuesday night when the numbers are drawn for the Mega Millions game's estimated $654 million jackpot. It's the second-largest in Mega Millions history.
It got that enormous because no one's won the jackpot since July 24, when a group of 11 co-workers in Santa Clara County split a $543 million prize.
The $654 million would be the payout if a winner selects for the annuity option, paid out over 29 years. The cash option, which is favored by nearly all winners, is $372 million.
The odds of matching all six numbers and becoming instantly wealthy are incredibly small-- one in 302.5 million.
Despite the long odds, Ernie's Liquors in San Jose saw a steady stream of customers all day long.
Just three months ago, that group of Wells Fargo employees from Santa Clara bought their winning ticket at Ernie's and split more than half a billion dollars.
Proprietors expected that to pick up as people got off of work.
"Since he won last time, that's even more incentive for me to come here all the time now," said retiree Gene Richards.
Meanwhile, the Powerball jackpot up for grabs Wednesday night will be a cool $345 million, with a cash value of $199 million.
The largest jackpot in Mega Millions history was a $656 million prize that was shared by winners from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland in March 2012.
The largest Powerball jackpot was $1.586 billion, which was shared by winners in California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016.
Mega Millions is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.