Powerball, Mega Millions Jackpots Now Total $387 Million
Middletown, PA – Big jackpots totaling $387 million are now up for grabs, starting with a $154 million jackpot for tonight’s Powerball® drawing. Last night, the Mega Millions® jackpot rolled to $233 million for Friday’s drawing.
“This is an exciting time because it marks the first time in months that we’ve seen both jackpots simultaneously reach these levels,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “We ask players to please play responsibly.”
Tonight’s Powerball® jackpot offers an annuity value of $154 million and a cash prize of $96.4 million. The Mega Millions® jackpot for Friday, May 29, offers an annuity value of $233 million and a cash prize of $143.1 million.
Tickets for both games are sold until 9:59 p.m. on drawing nights. It costs $3 to purchase a ticket for both games: $2 for Powerball; $1 for Mega Millions.
To encourage responsible play, Pool Play forms are available on palottery.com for the convenience of players who wish to pool ticket purchases with family members, friends or coworkers.
The Pennsylvania Lottery has sold 17 jackpot-winning Powerball tickets since joining the game in 2002 and one jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket since joining the game in 2010.
How to play Powerball: Players pay $2 and select five white balls from the first set of 59 numbers plus a single red ball, the Powerball, from a second set of 35 numbers. Players may select their own numbers using a Powerball playslip, or they may opt for computer-selected quick picks. Players must match all five numbers drawn plus the Powerball number to win the jackpot. There also are eight additional ways for players to win a cash prize.
Purchasing the $1 Power Play option allows a winner to increase lower-tier prizes by a factor of 2, 3, 4 or 5, depending on the Power Play number drawn. The jackpot and the Match 5 prize are not multiplied. The Match 5 prize with the Power Play option is set at $2 million. It is $1 million without Power Play.
Powerball is sold in 44 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Pennsylvania, tickets are sold until 9:59 p.m. on drawings nights, Wednesday and Saturday.
How to Play Mega Millions: Mega Millions tickets cost $1 per play. Players pick five numbers from 1 to 75 and one number from 1 to 15 (the Mega Ball). Players may select their own numbers using a Mega Millions play slip, or they may opt for computer-selected quick picks. For an extra $1 per play, players can add the Megaplier®. Prior to the Mega Millions drawing, the Megaplier number – ranging from two to five – is randomly selected. The Megaplier applies to non-jackpot prizes.
Mega Millions tickets are sold in 44 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets are sold until 9:59 p.m. on drawing nights, Tuesdays and Fridays.
About the Pennsylvania Lottery: The Pennsylvania Lottery remains the only state lottery that designates all its proceeds to programs that benefit older residents. Since its inception in 1971, the Pennsylvania Lottery has contributed more than $24.7 billion to programs that include property tax and rent rebates; free transit and reduced-fare shared rides; the low-cost prescription drug programs PACE and PACENET; long-term living services; and the 52 Area Agencies on Aging, including full- and part-time senior centers throughout the state.
The Pennsylvania Lottery reminds players to check every ticket, every time. Players must be 18 or older. Please play responsibly. For help with a gambling problem, call 1-800-848-1880.
For drawings results, winning numbers, winners’ stories and to subscribe to the Lottery’s RSS news feed, visit www.palottery.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/palottery or follow us at www.twitter.com/palottery.