ALBUQUERQUE – The jackpots just keep getting hotter! The Mega Millions® Jackpot has been raised to $1 billion for tonight’s draw. That’s the largest Mega Millions jackpot and second largest lottery jackpot in US history. The Powerball® jackpot has also been increased from $430 million to $470 million for the October 20 drawing. The two games have reached a combined jackpot total of $1.47 billion.
If the $1 billion Mega Millions prize lands in New Mexico, it will beat the state’s previous record jackpot of $206.9 million shared by nine Powerball players from the Roswell area in September 2008. The record Powerball jackpot of $1.58 billion was shared by players in California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016.
New Mexico Lottery CEO David Barden said, “We are excited to see these dueling jackpots and hope to have a winner in New Mexico. However, all the proceeds from tickets purchased in New Mexico benefit Legislative Lottery Scholarships, and they are the real winners here.” Barden also stated, “Have fun, but remember to play responsibly. Familiarize yourself with player safeguards: Sign your ticket, check your numbers, and listen for the winner tune when you have your ticket checked.”
New Mexico Lottery players have until 8:45 p.m. MT tonight to buy tickets for the Mega Millions drawing. And they have until 8:00 p.m. MT Saturday night to buy tickets for the Powerball drawing.
How to Play Mega Millions
Mega Millions is played in 46 lotteries. To play, players choose five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. Players can also ask for a “Quick Pick,” a set of numbers chosen randomly by the lottery’s gaming system. Each wager costs $2.
In addition to the jackpot, there are eight prize levels from $2 to $1 million. The game’s Megaplier® option multiplies non-jackpot prizes 2-5 times. Megaplier costs an additional $1 per play per drawing.
The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are approximately 1 in 303 million. The overall odds of winning a Mega Millions prize are approximately 1 in 24.
How to Play Powerball
Powerball is played in 47 lotteries. To play, players choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. Players can also ask for a “Quick Pick,” a set of numbers chosen randomly by the lottery’s gaming system. Each wager costs $2.
In addition to the jackpot, there are eight prize levels from $4 to $1 million. The game’s Power Play® option multiplies non-jackpot prizes and will double the $1 million prize to $2 million automatically. Power Play costs an additional $1 per play per drawing.
The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292 million. The overall odds of winning a Powerball prize are approximately 1 in 25.
Legislative Lottery Scholarships
Since 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $785 million for education and more than 116,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships.
More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.
Follow the New Mexico Lottery on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nmlottery).