Powerball vs Mega Millions: Which Lottery Is Better?

Powerball and Mega Millions are the two largest lottery games in the United States and often the two largest lottery jackpots in the world. Both are multi-state games available across most of the country, both cost $2 per ticket, and both can produce jackpots in the hundreds of millions — or even billions — of dollars. But they are not identical. Here is a complete, side-by-side breakdown.

Jackpot Odds: Which Game Is Harder to Win?

Mega Millions has slightly worse jackpot odds at 1 in 302,575,350 compared to Powerball's 1 in 292,201,338. The difference, while large in absolute terms, is negligible in practical terms — both are astronomically unlikely events. Buying 10 tickets instead of 1 does not meaningfully change your chances of winning either jackpot.

For winning any prize (not just the jackpot), Mega Millions edges ahead slightly at 1 in 24 compared to Powerball's 1 in 24.87. This means Mega Millions players win smaller prizes at a marginally higher rate — but the difference is small and both figures include prizes as low as $2.

Draw Schedule: Powerball Has 50% More Draws Per Year

Powerball draws three times per week — Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 PM Eastern Time. Mega Millions draws twice per week — Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 PM Eastern Time.

This means Powerball conducts approximately 156 draws per year compared to Mega Millions' 104 draws. For players who buy tickets regularly, this translates to more opportunities to play and more chances at smaller prize tiers per year. It also means Powerball jackpots can grow faster in absolute terms (more draws = more ticket revenue per week).

There are no draw day conflicts — Powerball and Mega Millions never draw on the same day. If you want to play both games each week, you can do so without overlap.

Number Pools and Odds Mechanics

Both games use a two-drum system: five main numbers and one bonus ball from a separate pool. The pools differ slightly:

• Powerball: Main numbers 1–69; Powerball 1–26
• Mega Millions: Main numbers 1–70; Mega Ball 1–25

Mega Millions has one more main ball (70 vs 69) and one fewer bonus ball (25 vs 26), resulting in slightly worse overall jackpot odds. The two-drum design means the bonus ball is completely independent of the main numbers — matching four main numbers but not the bonus ball gives you a $100 prize in Powerball, while matching four main numbers plus the Mega Ball gives you $10,000 in Mega Millions.

Multiplier Options: Power Play vs Megaplier

Both games offer a $1 add-on multiplier option that can increase non-jackpot prizes. They work similarly but have some differences:

Power Play (Powerball)

The Power Play multiplier is drawn before the main numbers and can be 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x. The 10x multiplier is only available when the jackpot is $150 million or less. Importantly, matching all five main numbers (without the Powerball) always pays $2,000,000 with Power Play — regardless of the multiplier drawn. Power Play does not apply to jackpot prizes.

Megaplier (Mega Millions)

The Megaplier can be 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x. Unlike Power Play, there is no 10x option and no jackpot cap that increases the multiplier range. The Megaplier applies to all non-jackpot prizes, including the Match 5 prize which becomes $5,000,000 with a 5x Megaplier (compared to Powerball's fixed $2M with Power Play).

Jackpot Size: Who Gets Bigger?

Both games start jackpots at $20 million. Jackpot growth depends on ticket sales per draw. Because Powerball draws three times per week, its jackpot can grow faster in short runs. However, Mega Millions has historically produced some of the largest individual jackpots ever recorded.

The current all-time US jackpot record holders:

• $2.04 billion — Powerball, November 2022 (largest jackpot in world lottery history)
• $1.602 billion — Mega Millions, August 2023
• $1.586 billion — Powerball, January 2016

Powerball holds the top record, but both games regularly produce jackpots in the hundreds of millions during long jackpot droughts.

Which States Offer Both Games?

As of 2025, both Powerball and Mega Millions are available in 45 states plus Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball is also available in Puerto Rico. The five states that participate in neither game are Nevada, Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah — states with no state lottery at all.

If you live in a participating state, you can play both games, and many players buy tickets for both when jackpots are large.

Which Game Should You Play?

The honest answer: for most players, the choice does not matter much. The odds of winning the jackpot are effectively zero in both cases — both games are entertainment, not financial strategies. Here are the practical distinctions:

• Play Powerball if: You prefer three draws per week for more frequent entertainment, or you want the Power Play option for a guaranteed $2M Match-5 prize.
• Play Mega Millions if: You prefer a marginally better overall chance of winning any prize (1 in 24 vs 1 in 24.87), or the Megaplier's potentially larger Match-5 prize ($5M at 5x vs $2M fixed) appeals to you.
• Play both if: You enjoy the game and the jackpots are both unusually large simultaneously — which does happen periodically.

Tax Considerations for Both Games

Federal and state tax treatment is identical for both Powerball and Mega Millions — lottery prizes are ordinary income. The same 24% federal withholding applies upfront, and the same marginal rates apply at filing. Your state's tax rate is determined by where you purchased the ticket, not which game you played.

Use the LotteryCalc tax calculator to estimate your take-home winnings for any jackpot amount in any state, for both lump-sum and annuity payment options. See our full lottery tax guide by state for a detailed breakdown.

Lottery games are entertainment. The odds of winning major prizes are very low for both games. Play within your means. If gambling is causing problems, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 (24/7).