Powerball vs Mega Millions: Odds, Prices and Rules Compared
Powerball and Mega Millions are the two lotteries behind almost every billion-dollar jackpot headline. Both are sold across most of the United States, both have a five-number main field plus a single gold or red ball, and both roll over until someone hits every number. For years they were close to twins. Since April 2025, they are not: Mega Millions was rebuilt with a new price, a built-in multiplier and a smaller ball pool. Here is how they compare today.
The rules side by side
| Powerball | Mega Millions | |
|---|---|---|
| Main numbers | 5 from 1–69 | 5 from 1–70 |
| Extra ball | 1 Powerball from 1–26 | 1 Mega Ball from 1–24 |
| Jackpot odds | 1 in 292,201,338 | 1 in 290,472,336 |
| Draw days | Monday, Wednesday, Saturday | Tuesday, Friday |
| Price per play (US) | $2, plus optional Power Play | $5, multiplier included |
| Where it is sold | Most US states, D.C., Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and, since July 2026, the UK | Most US states and D.C. |
The headline jackpot odds are almost identical. Mega Millions is very slightly easier – about 0.6% – because its gold ball pool was cut from 25 to 24 numbers in 2025, while its white-ball pool is one number larger than Powerball’s.
Every prize tier compared
The jackpot is only one of nine ways to win in each game. This is where the differences show up:
| Match | Powerball odds | Mega Millions odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + extra ball | 1 in 292,201,338 | 1 in 290,472,336 |
| 5 | 1 in 11,688,054 | 1 in 12,629,232 |
| 4 + extra ball | 1 in 913,129 | 1 in 893,761 |
| 4 | 1 in 36,525 | 1 in 38,859 |
| 3 + extra ball | 1 in 14,494 | 1 in 13,965 |
| 3 | 1 in 580 | 1 in 607 |
| 2 + extra ball | 1 in 701 | 1 in 665 |
| 1 + extra ball | 1 in 92 | 1 in 86 |
| Extra ball only | 1 in 38 | 1 in 35 |
The pattern is consistent: any prize that includes the extra ball is a little easier in Mega Millions, because there are only 24 Mega Balls instead of 26 Powerballs. Prizes that rely only on white balls are a little easier in Powerball, because its main pool has 69 numbers instead of 70.
Price and value
The biggest practical difference is the price. A basic Powerball play costs $2, with the optional Power Play multiplier for lower prizes at extra cost. A Mega Millions play now costs $5, but every ticket automatically includes a random multiplier of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x for non-jackpot prizes, and the smallest prize is $10. The old break-even prizes are gone.
That makes the two games feel different even though the odds are close. For the same budget, you get two and a half times as many Powerball lines as Mega Millions lines, which means more chances at the jackpot. Mega Millions, on the other hand, pays more when you do win a smaller prize. Neither choice changes the fact that the expected return of a lottery ticket is well below its price.
Jackpot size
Both games produce enormous rollovers because their odds are so long. Powerball holds the record for the largest lottery jackpot in history, a little over $2 billion in November 2022. Mega Millions’ largest jackpots have also passed $1.5 billion. Because Powerball now draws three times a week and is sold in the UK as well, its jackpot can grow quickly once a rollover run starts.
So which should you play?
- For the most jackpot chances per dollar: Powerball, because a line costs $2 instead of $5.
- For bigger lower-tier prizes: Mega Millions, thanks to the built-in multiplier and the $10 minimum win.
- For the odds alone: it is effectively a tie – the difference is far too small to matter.
If what you really want is better odds, neither game is the answer. Lotto America, run by the same association as Powerball, has jackpot odds of 1 in 25,989,600, and many state games are far easier still. Our list of the easiest lotteries to win shows the full ranking.
Try them for free
You can generate lines, see every odds tier and run a free demo draw on our Powerball page and Mega Millions page. The simulator will even show you what ten years of tickets would have produced – a sobering and surprisingly fun way to understand odds of nearly 300 million to one. For all American games in one place, see USA lotteries.