Powerball and Mega Millions approach a combined $2 billion
Amanuel Tedla has never bought a lottery ticket, but he sells dozens every day at a downtown Spokane convenience store – and a few more lately, as the jackpots for the country’s two largest lottery games each hit near $1 billion at the same time.
The Powerball jackpot is about $800 million, and Mega Millions is at $1.1 billion.
Monday’s winning numbers for the Powerball jackpot were 7, 11, 19, 53 and 68. The Powerball drawn was 23. The next Mega Millions will be drawn Tuesday. According to the Powerball website as of Monday night, there were no winners for the jackpot or the Match 5 plus Power Play. Florida and New York show winners for Match 5’s $1 million prize.
Powerball’s drawing Wednesday night could be the game’s sixth-largest payout, according to a news release. The jackpot was last won on Jan. 1, by a ticket in Michigan that won a prize worth $842.4 million. Since then, there have been 35 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner. Monday’s drawing looked to be the 36th drawing in the jackpot run.
Two tickets in California won the last Mega Millions jackpot on Dec. 8. If the jackpot is won Tuesday, it would be the game’s fifth-largest prize.
The prospect of such vast fortunes hasn’t increased sales that much, said Tedla, a clerk at Downtown Quick Stop next to the Spokane Transit Authority Plaza. Tedla said scratch tickets like the $5 Crossword Corner by Washington’s Lottery are more popular.
Gus Davis, who was waiting for a bus outside the convenience store Monday afternoon, had heard on the news that there hasn’t been a payout since the beginning of the year, but he doesn’t typically buy lottery tickets.
“I have kids,” Davis said. He was also dissuaded by watching documentaries about lottery winners and how their lives turn out.
But if he had a few extra bucks, he might give it a try
.
Ryan Hwang, owner of PM Jacoy’s convenience store downtown, said there has been only a slight increase in ticket sales lately. Sales are typically highest on paydays early in the month.
The overall odds of winning a prize is about 1 in 24, while the odds of winning a jackpot are about 1 in 300 million, the lottery companies said.