Powerball vs Mega Millions

Powerball and Mega Millions are the two national jackpot games most Americans mean when they talk about “the lottery.” Both are sold through state lotteries, both build very large jackpots, and both have been reshaped in recent years. Here is how they compare today.

Price and what you get

Powerball costs $2 per play. You can add Power Play for another $1 or Double Play for another $1 (Double Play is offered by 30 lotteries). Idaho and Montana bundle Power Play into the ticket, so the minimum there is $3.

Mega Millions costs $5 per play, and the multiplier is included in that price. There is no separate add-on to buy. If you remember Mega Millions as a $2 game with an optional Megaplier, that is the older format. See the reviews for Powerball and Mega Millions for the current details.

Odds compared

The published figures are close at the top and further apart below it.

• Powerball jackpot: 1 in 292,201,338. Any prize: 1 in 24.87, based on a $2 play.
• Mega Millions jackpot: 1 in 290,472,336. Any prize: 1 in 23.

Mega Millions has slightly better jackpot odds and a slightly better any-prize figure. But the Mega Millions figure covers a $5 play, while the Powerball figure covers a $2 play. Per dollar spent, you get far more Powerball plays. For a plain-language look at why those two numbers matter, read how lottery odds work.

Draw days and times

Powerball draws on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 pm ET. Mega Millions draws on Tuesday and Friday at 11 pm ET. Between them, the two games give you a jackpot drawing on five nights of the week.

Individual states list their own ticket sales cutoffs, which are earlier than the draw. Check your lottery’s page on our states section before assuming you can buy at the last minute.

Where each game is sold

Powerball is sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico (since 2014) and the US Virgin Islands (since 2002). Mississippi joined in 2020.

Mega Millions is sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. It is not sold in Puerto Rico.

Neither game is sold by a single national company. Powerball is run by the Multi-State Lottery Association, a nonprofit owned by its member lotteries, and Mega Millions is run by a consortium of state lotteries. You buy from your own state lottery, which also pays and taxes your prize.

What changed when Mega Millions moved to $5

Raising the price to $5 and folding the multiplier into every ticket changed the game in three practical ways.

First, it simplified the purchase. There is one price and one ticket type, with no add-on decision at the counter.

Second, it made each play cost two and a half times a Powerball play. If you spend a fixed budget, you will buy fewer Mega Millions plays than Powerball plays.

Third, the any-prize figure now describes a more expensive ticket, so it should not be compared to the Powerball figure without remembering the price difference.

Which should you choose

Neither game is a better bet in a financial sense. Both are priced so the operator and the state take a large share of sales, and a ticket is entertainment, not an investment.

If you prefer a lower price per play and optional extras, Powerball fits. If you like one flat price and slightly better published odds per play, Mega Millions fits. Many players buy both when jackpots are high.

Whatever you choose, set a budget first. Our responsible play guide covers how, and the compare page lets you put the two games next to each other. You can also see the smaller national games on our national games page.

A final practical note: prices and add-ons can differ slightly by state, as the Idaho and Montana Powerball bundling shows. Montana also lists its own Powerball prices at $3 with Power Play included and $4 with Double Play. Before you buy, confirm the exact options on your own lottery’s website, because the national figures in this guide describe the standard game, and the counter price in your state is the one that matters when you pay.