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US Lottery Guide
The US Lottery: Latest Numbers, Games, Rules and the Biggest Wins
Powerball and Mega Millions results updated after every draw, plus how the lottery works in all 50 states, who is allowed to play, and the record jackpots that made headlines.
Live Jackpots
Tonight's Estimated Jackpots
The two biggest US games and the estimated top prize at the next draw, with a live countdown to the cut-off. Draw dates and the countdown update automatically. Jackpot estimates are refreshed regularly and can change before each draw.
Powerball
Estimated next jackpot
$20 Million
Cash value $8.7 Million
Next draw
Mega Millions
Estimated next jackpot
$90 Million
Cash value $39 Million
Next draw
Estimated jackpots are set by the lotteries and can change before the draw. Always confirm on your official state lottery.
Weekly Winning Numbers · Auto-updated
Latest Winning Lottery Numbers
Here are the most recent results for the two biggest US lottery games. These numbers refresh automatically after each official draw, pulled from the New York State lottery data feed.
Powerball
$2 per play · 45 states + DC, PR, USVI
Latest draw
Mon, August 10, 2026
Red ball = Powerball. Power Play multiplier this draw: 3x.
Drawn Mon, Wed and Sat at 10:59 pm ET.
Mega Millions
$5 per play · 45 states + DC, USVI
Latest draw
Tue, August 11, 2026
Gold ball = Mega Ball. Every ticket includes a 2x-10x multiplier on non-jackpot prizes.
Drawn Tue and Fri at 11:00 pm ET.
Recent Powerball draws
| Date | Numbers (+ Powerball) |
|---|---|
| August 8, 2026 | 5 · 9 · 35 · 54 · 63 + 7 |
| August 5, 2026 | 14 · 20 · 59 · 60 · 61 + 25 |
| August 3, 2026 | 8 · 30 · 41 · 48 · 54 + 4 |
| August 1, 2026 | 6 · 17 · 27 · 48 · 50 + 5 |
Recent Mega Millions draws
| Date | Numbers (+ Mega Ball) |
|---|---|
| August 7, 2026 | 17 · 20 · 32 · 54 · 57 + 23 |
| August 4, 2026 | 14 · 21 · 51 · 55 · 65 + 21 |
| July 31, 2026 | 4 · 18 · 26 · 43 · 51 + 4 |
| July 28, 2026 | 34 · 48 · 49 · 59 · 70 + 12 |
Numbers are shown for information only. Always check your ticket against your official state lottery before claiming a prize.
Just For Fun
Feeling Lucky? Generate Your Numbers
Can't decide what to play? Let our lucky-number generator pick a valid line for you. Choose a game and tap the button.
These numbers are randomly generated for entertainment only. They are not a prediction and do not improve your odds of winning. Every combination has exactly the same chance. Please play responsibly and only if you are of legal age. Help: 1-800-GAMBLER.
Quick Answer
US Lottery at a Glance
| Games available | Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash4Life, Lucky for Life, plus state draw games, daily numbers and scratch-offs |
| States with a lottery | 45 states + Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands |
| States with NO lottery | Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah |
| Minimum age | 18 in most states (19 in Nebraska; 21 in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi) |
| Ticket price | Powerball $2 per play; Mega Millions $5 per play |
| Can visitors play? | Yes. You do not have to be a US citizen or resident to buy a ticket or claim a prize |
| Where to buy | Licensed retailers in a participating state; some states also sell online or by app |
Casinos.com Original Data Study
Which US States Love the Lottery Most (and Which Actually Win)?
We compared how often people in each state search for the lottery with how many Powerball jackpots that state has actually won since the game moved to its current format in October 2015. The mismatch is striking. Michigan searches for "lottery" more than any other state, yet only three jackpot-winning tickets have been sold there in that time. Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. tell an even sharper story: all four rank in the top five for search interest, but no Powerball jackpot ticket has been sold in South Carolina or D.C. since 2015, and Maryland and Virginia have managed just one each. At the other end, smaller states such as Delaware and New Hampshire win far more jackpots per head than their size suggests.
Key finding: loving it isn't winning it
Nowhere in America searches for the lottery more than Michigan, which scores a perfect 100 on our interest index. Yet since Powerball adopted its current format in October 2015, just three jackpot-winning tickets have been sold in the state, about 0.30 per million residents. The pattern repeats across the country's most lottery-obsessed places: Maryland (96), South Carolina and Washington, D.C. (both 88) rank among the highest for search interest, but South Carolina and D.C. have gone the entire period without a jackpot, and Maryland has managed just one. The states that play hardest, it turns out, are rarely the ones that collect.
| State | Search interest ▾ | Jackpots since 2015 | Wins per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 100 | 3 | 0.3 |
| Maryland | 96 | 1 | 0.16 |
| Washington, D.C. | 88 | 0 | 0 |
| South Carolina | 88 | 0 | 0 |
| Virginia | 84 | 1 | 0.11 |
| Delaware | 80 | 2 | 1.9 |
| Florida | 79 | 8 | 0.34 |
| New Jersey | 78 | 6 | 0.63 |
| Georgia | 78 | 2 | 0.18 |
| North Carolina | 77 | 2 | 0.18 |
| Connecticut | 75 | 1 | 0.27 |
| Massachusetts | 74 | 1 | 0.14 |
| New York | 67 | 7 | 0.35 |
| Pennsylvania | 60 | 3 | 0.23 |
| Kentucky | 57 | 1 | 0.22 |
| Ohio | 57 | 2 | 0.17 |
| Illinois | 57 | 0 | 0 |
| Louisiana | 46 | 2 | 0.43 |
| New Hampshire | 45 | 2 | 1.42 |
| Tennessee | 40 | 4 | 0.55 |
| Maine | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Missouri | 34 | 1 | 0.16 |
| Mississippi | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 30 | 4 | 0.67 |
| Indiana | 29 | 2 | 0.29 |
| Rhode Island | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona | 28 | 2 | 0.26 |
| Vermont | 27 | 1 | 1.54 |
| Arkansas | 25 | 2 | 0.65 |
| West Virginia | 25 | 1 | 0.56 |
| Texas | 24 | 2 | 0.06 |
| New Mexico | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| North Dakota | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Nebraska | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Kansas | 21 | 2 | 0.67 |
| Iowa | 20 | 1 | 0.31 |
| Colorado | 20 | 1 | 0.17 |
| Minnesota | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Montana | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| South Dakota | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Idaho | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon | 14 | 3 | 0.7 |
| California | 14 | 11 | 0.28 |
| Washington | 14 | 1 | 0.13 |
| Wyoming | 14 | 0 | 0 |
Methodology. Search interest is the Google Trends score (0 to 100) for the term "lottery" in each state from October 2015 to August 2026, indexed so the highest-interest state scores 100. Jackpot figures count the number of Powerball jackpot-winning tickets sold in each state over the same period, attributed to the state where the ticket was sold (source: Powerball.net official winners list; 82 jackpot-winning tickets in total). Wins per million use 2024 US Census population estimates. Two things are worth bearing in mind: Powerball jackpots are rare, effectively random events, so over a single decade small states can look unusually lucky or unlucky per head (Delaware, New Hampshire and Vermont are all inflated by small populations); and figures cover the 46 states and jurisdictions that offer Powerball, since Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah have no state lottery.
Game Types
Types of Lottery You Can Play in the US
The word "lottery" covers a lot of different games. Here are the main formats you will find across US states, from nine-figure jackpots to a quick scratch card at the counter.
Multi-state jackpot games
Powerball and Mega Millions are run across dozens of states, so jackpots roll over and climb into the hundreds of millions. These are the games behind every record headline.
Other national draws
Cash4Life pays $1,000 a day for life and Lucky for Life pays $1,000 a day for life to the top winner. Both are shared across a group of states with smaller, fixed top prizes.
State draw games
Most states run their own in-house jackpot game (names like Lotto, Lotto America or a state-branded draw) with lower odds and smaller, locally funded prizes.
Daily numbers games
Pick 3 and Pick 4 style games draw once or twice a day. You choose a short string of digits for fixed payouts, which is why they see huge everyday search volume.
Scratch-offs and instants
Instant-win scratch cards are bought and revealed on the spot. No draw, no waiting, and prizes range from a few dollars to seven figures.
Keno and fast-play
Many states offer rapid-draw Keno every few minutes and print-and-play tickets with an instant top prize, usually in bars, restaurants and lottery retailers.
State by State
Lottery by State
Forty-five states plus Washington DC run a lottery, and every one of them sells Powerball and Mega Millions. The table below shows which states have a lottery, the minimum age to play, and whether the big multi-state games are available. Five states, shown with a red cross, have no state lottery at all.
| State | State lottery | Min age | Powerball / Mega Millions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | ✕ No lottery | - | ✕ |
| Alaska | ✕ No lottery | - | ✕ |
| Arizona | ✓ Yes | 21 | ✓ |
| Arkansas | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| California | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Colorado | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Connecticut | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Delaware | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Florida | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Georgia | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Hawaii | ✕ No lottery | - | ✕ |
| Idaho | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Illinois | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Indiana | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Iowa | ✓ Yes | 21 | ✓ |
| Kansas | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Kentucky | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Louisiana | ✓ Yes | 21 | ✓ |
| Maine | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Maryland | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Massachusetts | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Michigan | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Minnesota | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Mississippi | ✓ Yes | 21 | ✓ |
| Missouri | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Montana | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Nebraska | ✓ Yes | 19 | ✓ |
| Nevada | ✕ No lottery | - | ✕ |
| New Hampshire | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| New Jersey | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| New Mexico | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| New York | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| North Carolina | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| North Dakota | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Ohio | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Oklahoma | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Oregon | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Pennsylvania | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Rhode Island | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| South Carolina | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| South Dakota | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Tennessee | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Texas | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Utah | ✕ No lottery | - | ✕ |
| Vermont | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Virginia | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Washington | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| West Virginia | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Wisconsin | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
| Wyoming | ✓ Yes | 18 | ✓ |
Age shown is the standard minimum to buy a draw-game ticket. A few states apply a higher age to specific products (for example casino-style or video-lottery terminals).
The Exceptions
States That Do Not Have a Lottery
Five states have never launched a state lottery: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. The reasons split into two camps, moral or religious opposition and economic or practical calculations. Residents can still buy tickets legally by crossing into a neighboring state.
Utah
A gambling ban is written into the state constitution, rooted in the state's religious and cultural values. No lottery, no casinos.
Alabama
Long blocked on religious and moral grounds. Voters have repeatedly debated a lottery, and campaigns to create one keep resurfacing, but none has passed into law.
Nevada
Home of Las Vegas. The powerful casino industry has long argued a state lottery would pull money away from casinos that already pay heavy gaming taxes, so it has never gained traction.
Alaska
A small, widely spread-out population makes running a statewide lottery costly relative to the money it would raise. Charitable gaming is allowed, but no full lottery.
Hawaii
The only US state with no legalized gambling of any kind: no lottery, no casinos, no sports betting. Bills to study a lottery have stalled for years.
Eligibility
Who Can Play the US Lottery?
The rules are simpler than most people think. Two things decide whether you can buy a ticket: your age, and which state you are physically standing in when you buy.
Age
You must be 18 in most states. Nebraska requires 19, and Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana and Mississippi require 21. The age that applies is the one for the state where you buy the ticket, not your home state.
Nationality
You do not need to be a US citizen or resident. Mega Millions and Powerball both confirm that visitors can play and win. Tourists on a visa can legally buy tickets and collect prizes.
Residency
There is no residency requirement. What matters is being physically present in a participating state at the moment of purchase. Buying US tickets by mail or online from outside the country is not allowed.
Claiming as a non-citizen: a foreign passport is accepted as ID. You claim in the state where you bought the ticket, before that state's deadline (90 days to a year). Non-resident winners face a flat 30% federal withholding on prizes, versus 24% for US citizens on prizes over $5,000, plus any state tax.
Step by Step
How to Play the Lottery
Pick your numbers
Choose your own numbers on a play slip or ask for a Quick Pick to have them chosen at random. Powerball is five numbers from 1-69 plus one red Powerball from 1-26.
Buy from a licensed retailer
Tickets are sold at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores in participating states. Some states also sell online or through official apps and courier services.
Wait for the draw
Powerball is drawn Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; Mega Millions on Tuesday and Friday. Sales usually close an hour or two before the draw.
Check your ticket
Match your numbers against the official results (the auto-updated numbers above are a starting point). Even matching the single Powerball or Mega Ball wins a small prize.
Claim your prize
Small wins can be cashed at a retailer. Prizes of $600 or more are claimed at a lottery office with photo ID, and the largest prizes are paid as a lump sum or a multi-year annuity.
The Data
Hot and Cold Numbers
Which numbers have come up most and least often lately? We tallied every official draw over the periods shown. Mega Millions counts only draws since the April 2025 game change, when the number pool was updated.
Powerball
Based on 156 draws (2025-08-13 to 2026-08-10)
Hot numbers (drawn most)
Cold numbers (drawn least)
Hot Powerball
Mega Millions
Based on 141 draws (2025-04-08 to 2026-08-11)
Hot numbers (drawn most)
Cold numbers (drawn least)
Hot Mega Ball
A reality check: lottery draws are independent and random. A number being "hot" or "cold" in the past has no effect on whether it comes up next time. Every number has exactly the same chance on every draw. Treat this as trivia, not a strategy.
Record Books
The Biggest Lottery Wins of All Time
Every one of the ten largest US jackpots has landed since 2016, after rule changes made starting jackpots bigger and rollovers faster. Tap any column heading to re-sort the table.
| # | Jackpot | Game | Date | Winning state | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2.04 billion | Powerball | Nov 7, 2022 | California | Largest jackpot in world history, won on a single ticket |
| 2 | $1.817 billion | Powerball | Dec 24, 2025 | Arkansas | One winning ticket |
| 3 | $1.787 billion | Powerball | Sep 6, 2025 | Missouri & Texas | Split between two tickets |
| 4 | $1.765 billion | Powerball | Oct 11, 2023 | California | One ticket, sold at a mountain-town liquor store |
| 5 | $1.602 billion | Mega Millions | Aug 8, 2023 | Florida | Largest Mega Millions jackpot ever |
| 6 | $1.586 billion | Powerball | Jan 13, 2016 | CA, FL & TN | First jackpot ever to pass $1 billion, split three ways |
| 7 | $1.537 billion | Mega Millions | Oct 23, 2018 | South Carolina | One ticket |
| 8 | $1.350 billion | Mega Millions | Jan 13, 2023 | Maine | One ticket |
| 9 | $1.337 billion | Mega Millions | Jul 29, 2022 | Illinois | One ticket |
| 10 | $1.326 billion | Powerball | Apr 7, 2024 | Oregon | One ticket |
Amounts are the advertised annuity jackpots. Winners who take the lump sum receive roughly half before taxes.
States that produce the most billion-dollar jackpots
Big-population states sell the most tickets, so they naturally produce the most jackpot winners. California appears most often, with Florida next.
The Odds, Visualized
How Long Are the Odds, Really?
Powerball has nine ways to win, and the smaller prizes are far more common than the jackpot. Here is every Powerball prize tier and the odds of hitting it. Longer bars mean rarer outcomes.
Overall, your odds of winning any Powerball prize are about 1 in 24.9.
For context, the US National Weather Service puts your odds of being struck by lightning in a given year at roughly 1 in 1.2 million - about 240 times more likely than winning the Powerball jackpot.
The Odds
Your Odds and What Happens If You Win
The jackpot odds are famously long, but smaller prizes are far more common. Here is how the headline games stack up, and what a big win actually looks like after the draw.
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| Powerball jackpot | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| Mega Millions jackpot | 1 in 290,472,336 |
| Any Powerball prize | About 1 in 25 |
| Match just the Powerball | 1 in 38 (wins $4) |
Lump sum or annuity? Jackpot winners choose between a reduced cash lump sum now, worth roughly half the advertised prize, or the full amount paid in 30 graduated annual installments over 29 years. Federal tax is withheld from either choice, and most states tax winnings on top, though states with no income tax (such as Florida and Texas) withhold nothing at state level.
By State
Where to Play by State
The lottery is just one way to play. If you want to know what else is on offer near you, from tribal and commercial casinos to racetracks, explore our state casino guides.
Instant Games
Instant Wins, Scratch-offs and Lottery-Style Games
Big jackpots grab the headlines, but a lot of lottery play happens on smaller, faster games. Scratch-offs and instant-win games give you a result in seconds rather than waiting for a draw. Here is how the main formats work and where you can play them.
Retail scratch-offs
Paper scratch tickets sold wherever a state lottery operates, usually from $1 to $30. You scratch the panel and win instantly. Every state with a lottery offers them, so they are the most widely available instant game in the country.
Online e-instants and keno
Several states run an official iLottery where you can buy draw tickets and play digital instant-win games. These include Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia and Illinois. Online keno is offered in a smaller group, including Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Casino scratch and instant-win titles
In states with regulated online casinos, operators run their own scratch card and fast-play games alongside slots. You will find them in states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia at brands like BetMGM, FanDuel and Caesars, usually grouped under an Arcade or Variety Games menu.
Availability depends on where you are. You must be of legal age and physically located in a state that offers the game. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Keep Reading
More Ways to Play
If instant-win and scratch card games are your thing, the next step is a regulated real-money casino. Here is where to look, whether you want our overall US picks or a guide to a specific state.
Best US Online Casinos
Our top-rated real-money casinos, where you can play instant-win, scratch card and fast-play games.
US Online CasinosMichigan Online Casinos
Michigan runs both an official iLottery and regulated online casinos with instant-win titles.
Michigan CasinosNew Jersey Online Casinos
The largest regulated US online casino market, packed with scratchers and fast-play games.
New Jersey CasinosLottery News
Latest Lottery News
From record courier-service disputes to state lottery legislation, here is some of our recent coverage of the US lottery world.
Play for fun, not as an investment
The lottery is entertainment, and the odds of a jackpot are very long. Only spend what you can comfortably afford to lose, and never chase losses. If gambling stops being fun, free and confidential help is available 24/7 from the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER. You must be of legal age to play.
Meet The Author
Experience
Joss Wood has over a decade of experience reviewing and comparing the top online casinos in the world to ensure players find their favorite place to play. Joss is also a specialist when it comes to breaking down what casino bonuses add value and where to find the promotions you don't want to miss.
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