It is no surprise then that two American lotteries have been at the forefront of creating multi-millionaires with their record-breaking jackpot amounts; the US Powerball and Mega Millions. Their lucrative, life-changing jackpots have transformed them both into global lottery sensations.

Related Articles: The History of US Powerball , Mega Millions vs. Euromillions

Thus, it has led to many lottery players wondering which one of these games from the land of stars and stripes is better?

So, in a knockout, drag-out fight, which lottery game do you think will win? The gigantic  Powerball lottery, or the younger Mega Millions lottery with its wacky tricks and curveballs?

In this blog, we will delve deep and look into the small differences between the two that make a big difference.

The US Powerball was launched in 1988 in six (6) states operating under the name “Lotto America” and is run by a non-profit Multi-State Lottery organisation.

It held its first draw under its new name, “Powerball”, in 1992 and has enjoyed substantial growth. The Powerball is now available in 44 States in total.

On the other hand, the Mega Millions lottery only came into existence in August 1996, initially also with only six participating states. Mega Millions was an instant hit after its first draw on September 6, 1996, resulting in more States joining the euphoric fun. It is now offered in almost every American state, except for five (5) States.

The Mega Millions lottery game has changed its name twice since it was launched, from “The Big Game Mega Millions” in 2002 to “Mega Millions” in 2005. Like its rival, it changed its game matrix and prize structure in 2002 to infuse more excitement.

When comparing Powerball vs Mega Millions, a significant difference between the two lottery games is their playing methods.

In the Mega Millions lottery, players need to pick five (5) numbers from a pool of 70 possible numbers and one (1) Mega Number from 25 numbers.

While in the Powerball lottery, a player is also expected to choose five (5) numbers but from a smaller pool of 69 numbers, including one (1) Powerball from 25 numbers.

It is for this reason that players have a slightly better chance of winning the Powerball jackpot compared to Mega Millions.

In the table below are comparisons between the chances of winning and the jackpot amount of each game;

US Powerball and Mega Millions are the world’s most popular lottery games. Every week, millions of players worldwide scramble to buy tickets to these games in hopes of scooping the life-changing jackpots.

In years gone by, you would have to be physically in America to play both these games. Due to the internet’s convenience, you can play these American lottery heavyweights from almost anywhere in the world on Lotto247.

Both the Powerball lottery and Mega Millions lottery games offer you two (2) chances to win their coveted jackpots every week.

The Mega Millions lottery holds its draw every Tuesday and Friday at 23:00 (ET), while the Powerball lottery draws every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 22:59 (ET).

Immediately after both draws are concluded, the results are published on Lotto247. You can check if you matched winning numbers on the American Powerball Results and Mega Millions Results pages.

A reason why the jackpots of both lotteries have reached astronomical amounts in previous years is the jackpot rollover.

The Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries both do not have jackpot rollover caps. This means that when their jackpots are not won, they will continue to roll over and increase in value until they are won.

However, a jackpot rollover from both lotteries does not guarantee that it will be won. If multiple players in both games win the jackpot, the prize is shared evenly amongst all winners.

When you play and win the US Powerball or the Mega Millions lottery jackpots on Lotto247, there are two (2) available payout options, lump-sum or annuity payout.

You can choose to have your American Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot winnings paid to you in the form of a lump-sum payout. Your winnings are paid to you immediately, and you’ll receive approximately 60% of your winnings after tax deductions.

The other payout option is the annuity payout, which will pay out your winnings in yearly payments for a predetermined number of years.

You will receive the first immediately, and it can take the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery approximately 29 years to complete the annuity payments.

All annuity payments increase by an estimated 4%, making the final payment the largest. The annuity payout option is calculated based on the declared Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot winning total.

Many lottery players assume that the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries are more or less similar lottery games. This is valid to a certain extent, as both games require players to choose numbers to play, and they have a similar chance to win huge jackpots.

However, this does not mean that they are the same. Below is a table that illustrates how both games compare to each other;

Deciding which lottery game to play can be a very challenging task. Both the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery are in constant competition to generate more enormous jackpots.

Thus, there is little to choose between the two when it comes to the highest jackpots recorded for both games.

The biggest Mega Millions jackpot recorded was US $1.53 billion in October 2018, while the highest American Powerball jackpot was US $1.58 billion in January 2016. In the table below is a list of the top 10 biggest jackpots recorded for both lotteries;

According to the table above, the Powerball has recorded the largest jackpot between the two games, which should make it the better lottery game. However, it is worth mentioning that the Mega Millions lottery has recorded the largest single-ticket win in the world.

Both the Powerball lottery and Mega Millions offer nine (9) distinctly exceptional prize tiers.

Basically the more number combinations you match, the bigger the prize you win. If you match all five (5) numbers, including the Bonus Ball (Mega Ball or Powerball), you win the jackpot.

The table below illustrates the value of the prize tiers in each lottery;

Choosing which lottery game to play between the US Powerball and Mega Millions can be challenging, but why not play both? A golden rule when it comes to success in lottery games is to play more to win more.