The odds of winning the Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot are not in your favor. With the odds of hitting the jackpot in these lotteries at around 1-in-292 million, it’s safe to say that you’re more likely to land other things than big bucks.
The Mega Millions jackpot is currently sitting at $187 million ahead of Friday’s drawing, while the Powerball jackpot has reset following a massive jackpot. If someone wins Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot and they choose the cash option, they will go home with more than $91 million before taxes, according to the lottery.
The winning numbers for Tuesday, Jan. 9, were 12, 15, 32, 33, and 53, with the Megaball being 24, and the Megaplier being 3X. While there were no jackpot winners, the Mega Millions reported two Match 5 winners in California and a Match 5 + Megaplier winner in Virginia. The full list of Mega Millions winners can be found on the lottery’s website.
When purchasing a Mega Millions ticket, players have the opportunity to select six numbers. The first five will be chosen from a range of 1 to 70 for the white balls, and the last number will be chosen from 1 to 25 for the golden Mega Ball.
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores, and grocery stores, as well as online through the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, Jackpocket, in certain U.S. states and territories. The Jackpocket app allows users to pick their lottery game and numbers, place their order, see their ticket, and collect their winnings all using their phone or home computer.
Despite the long odds of winning big, millions of people across the country continue to participate in these lotteries, hoping to defy the odds and become the next big jackpot winner. But as they say, you can’t win if you don’t play.