Combined Mega Millions & Powerball Jackpots Will Top $1 Billion
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - Yep, if you won them both your winning amount would start with a B!
As of Tuesday morning, 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 is up for grabs Tuesday night when the numbers are drawn for the Mega Millions game's estimated $654 million jackpot. The total, which will likely increase before the drawing, is the second-largest in Mega Millions history.
The grand prize for Tuesday night's drawing has grown so enormous because no one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since July 24.
The estimated $654 million jackpot is for the annuity option that's paid out over 29 years. The cash option is $372 million.
And while we're talking big money, we're also talking big odds. The odds of matching all six numbers in the Mega Millions drawing are one in 302.5 million. According to the Powerball website, the current Powerball jackpot odds are one in 292.2 million.
The chance of winning both lotteries is one in 88 quadrillion (88,000,000,000,000,000).
Mega Millions is played in Texas, 43 other states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It costs $2 to play and the sales cutoff time in Texas is 9:45 p.m.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)