Powerball vs Mega Millions: The Comparison

Both lotteries look alike — five white balls plus one bonus ball — but their matrices differ. Powerball draws 5 from 69 plus a Powerball from 26; Mega Millions draws 5 from 70 plus a Mega Ball from 25. That detail changes everything: jackpot odds, secondary prize odds and draw frequency.

Very similar jackpot odds

Powerball offers 1 in 292,201,338 to hit the top tier; Mega Millions 1 in 302,575,350. A gap of about 3.5% is negligible for an individual player.

Secondary tiers, however, diverge sharply: Mega Millions offers more winning combinations at tiers 4 and 5, with higher fixed prizes ($500 and $200 versus $100 and $100 in Powerball).

Draw frequency

Powerball offers three draws a week (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday) against two for Mega Millions (Tuesday, Friday). For the same budget, Powerball gives 50% more chances.

So which one?

Powerball suits players who want more draws and a fast-growing jackpot. Mega Millions suits those who prefer more frequent intermediate prizes, better paid at tiers 4 and 5.

Our generator and the Fortuna oracle treat both lotteries separately, each with its exact matrix.