Massachusetts

Mega Millions, Powerball Jackpots Both Top $300M to Close Out 2017

The first time both games simultaneously had jackpots topping $300 million was in early August

It could be a mega-powerful New Year's Eve weekend. 

Between Powerball and Mega Millions, U.S. lottery aficionados --for just the second time in history-- have two opportunities to try for jackpots exceeding $300 million.

Mega Millions was drawn late Friday, with numbers: 4, 10, 18, 28 and 62. The MegaBall number was 7. But there was no winner of the jackpot, which swelled to $343 million for the Jan. 2 drawing. 

Powerball's drawing is Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. Both lotto games had their most recent jackpot wins in late October. The jackpot is estimated at $384 million.

And hey, if you lose at least you've got New Year's Eve on Sunday.  

Despite the mountains of zeros attached to both lottery games' jackpots this week, neither of the current amounts is a record-setter, as CNBC reported. For either to land in the U.S.'s top 10 jackpots, they would have to surpass the $448.4 million Powerball prize shared by two winners back in August 2013.

The first time both games simultaneously had jackpots topping $300 million was in early August. Illinois lotto player Patricia Busking nabbed the Mega Millions in mid-August, taking home $393 million.

By late August, the Powerball had reached $758.7 million, which all went to  winner Mavis Wanczyk of Massachusetts, making it the largest prize ever awarded to a single ticket. That jackpot was also the second largest in the game's history and the second largest in U.S. lottery history.

Mega Millions is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball is played in all the same places, plus Puerto Rico. 

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