MIDDLETOWN — Strong ticket sales this week have boosted the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots to approximately $1.2 billion, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Tonight’s Mega Millions drawing is for a jackpot worth a $450 million annual annuity value or a $218.2 million cash prize, the Lottery says. Saturday’s Powerball drawing will be for a prize of a $570 million annuity value or a cash prize of $358.5 million.
Tickets for both drawings cost $2, the Lottery says.
“This is an exciting time because it marks the first time ever that we’ve seen both jackpots simultaneously reach these levels,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “We ask players to please play responsibly.”
In Pennsylvania, tickets for both games are sold until 9:59 p.m. on drawing nights. Players are encouraged to play early to avoid the possibility of encountering lines at retailers.
Pennsylvania has sold 17 Powerball jackpot-winning tickets since joining the game in 2002, and two jackpot-winning Mega Millions tickets since joining the game in 2010. Pennsylvania’s largest Powerball prize was a $110.2 million cash-value jackpot claimed by a New Jersey couple in 2004. The state’s largest Mega Millions jackpot was a $91.8 million cash-value prize claimed by a Virginia man in 2015.
