Lifestyle

Check Your Tickets: New Year’s Mega Millions and Powerball Jackpots Are High

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Tony Maples Photography

 

According to Yahoo News, three people in Texas have just won Mega Millions prizes while the main jackpot swelled to $418 million.

On Tuesday night (January 2), lotto players had a chance at winning two major jackpots which, together, would amount to close to $800 million. That same day, at approximately 10 a.m., the Texas Lottery Twitter account tweeted, “Two big jackpots to play for this week! The estimated jackpot for tonight’s Mega Millions drawing is $343 million! Do you have your ticket? #TexasLottery #Texas #MegaMillions #TuesdayThoughts”

The Mega Millions draw that took place last night (January 2), was offering players a jackpot of $343 million, in the form of an annuity which could be paid out over 29 years. Its cash option was estimated at $215 million, which was noted as the largest Mega Millions prize since a draw that took place in August of last year at $393 million. Interest in the draw had grown so much and so fast, that by noon on January 2, the Texas Lottery again tweeted: “#BREAKING The jackpot for tonight’s #MegaMillions drawing has increased to $361 million ($225.9 million cash value)! #TEXAS #TexasLottery”

On January 3, Powerball players crossed their fingers for a $440 million annuity prize or a cash prize payout of $278.3 million. The Powerball lottery game has also not had a prize of this stature since August of last year when it was won by a Massachusetts player who got a jackpot of $758.7 million. The odds of winning the jackpots for either game are minuscule. The odds for the Mega Millions game are noted as one in 302.6 million, while the odds for the Powerball game are only a little bit better at one in 292.2 million.