Lottery jackpots have exploded in dimension during the last decade.
When Powerball launched in 1992, the primary jackpot was $5.9 million, based on the Multi-State Lottery Affiliation. Now, the most important Powerball jackpot on document is the $2.04 billion prize received on Nov. 7, 2022.
Mega Thousands and thousands adopted the same path. Its first jackpot winner in 2002 took dwelling $28 million. Its document prize — a $1.602 billion jackpot received on Aug. 8, 2023 — ranks because the six-largest jackpot received in U.S. lottery historical past.
13 of the 20 largest jackpots have occurred since 2023.
The second largest U.S. jackpot ever received was on Christmas Eve in 2025: $1.817 billion, in Arkansas.
Listed here are the largest U.S. jackpot wins earlier than that:
Solely 5 states do not promote lottery tickets: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.
Whereas the prizes are large, the percentages of successful nonetheless stay extraordinarily low. During the last three many years, each video games have been redesigned a number of occasions. Adjustments have pushed jackpots larger whereas additionally including extra methods for gamers to win smaller prizes.
Powerball gamers select 5 numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball quantity from 1 to 26. In 2015, Powerball elevated its variety of white balls from 59 to 69 and its variety of crimson balls decreased from 35 to 26.
Earlier than the change, the percentages of successful the jackpot have been 1 in 175.2 million and the general odds of successful any prize have been 1 in 31.85. After the redesign, the jackpot odds turned steeper, 1 in 292.2 million, whereas the general odds of successful a prize improved to 1 in 24.9, based on the Multi-State Lottery Affiliation.
Mega Thousands and thousands requires gamers to choose 5 completely different numbers from one to 70 and one Mega Ball quantity from one to 24. A ticket wins the jackpot by matching all six numbers in a drawing.
In 2025, Mega Thousands and thousands modified its video games to a bigger beginning jackpot ($50 million vs. $20 million), which “improved odds to win the jackpot and improved total odds,” based on Dan Miller, a spokesperson for Mega Thousands and thousands.
“Everybody who wins is successful extra due to the embedded multiplier within the new sport that takes all non-jackpot prizes and multiplies them by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X,” Miller mentioned in an e mail. Via Friday, Dec. 5, he mentioned, “there have been 70 drawings within the new sport. In that point, gamers have received $531 million in non-jackpot prizes. Within the outdated sport, those self same prizes would have been valued at $119.8 million. That is a 343% improve in participant winnings.”
For instance, underneath the outdated guidelines, matching simply the Mega Ball was a break-even end result: a $2 ticket earned a $2 prize. Below the brand new sport, that very same match now comes with a built-in multiplier. The minimal prize is $5, which is then multiplied — that 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 improved from 1 in 302.6 million to 1 in 290.5 million. That is due to Mega Thousands and thousands eradicating the one gold Mega Ball from the sport, Miller mentioned.
The brand new sport has 24 Mega Balls as a substitute of 25, which improves the percentages of selecting the correct mixtures of numbers to win the jackpot. The general odds to win any prize went from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23.
There’s more cash in play as effectively: Powerball elevated the value of a ticket from $1 to $2 in 2012. Mega Thousands and thousands elevated its ticket costs from $1 to $2 in 2017 and from $2 to $5 in April of this 12 months.