Jackpot History

Record jackpots, rollovers, and how a top prize grows.

Every Billion-Dollar Lottery Jackpot, and How Often They Actually Happen

Five separate jackpot runs have crossed $1 billion in the two big American games: three in Powerball and two in Mega Millions. Those five runs produced 16 individual draws advertised at $1 billion or more, because once a jackpot passes the line it stays above it until somebody wins. Both numbers…

10 min read · 2,305 words

Jackpot History

How a Lottery Jackpot Actually Grows: Rollovers, Sales and the Cash Pool

A jackpot doesn't grow because someone adds money to a vault. The advertised number is an estimate — a projection of what the cash currently sitting in the prize pool would pay out if it were spread over a 30-year annuity — so it moves with ticket sales and with the interest rates that annuity…

11 min read · 2,570 words