The five numbers you pick from the main pool; match them in any order.
Powerball uses five numbers from 1–69 plus one Powerball from 1–26. Mega Millions uses five numbers from 1–70 plus one Mega Ball from 1–24.
Plain-English definitions of the terms you run into when you play, check a ticket or win — from annuity vs. cash value to withholding and claim deadlines. Each entry links to the tool or state page that goes deeper.
Reviewed October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice; state rules vary.
How the national games work.
The event where the winning numbers are selected.
Powerball draws Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 PM ET. Mega Millions draws Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 PM ET. Both use physical ball machines on a televised, audited draw.
The five numbers you pick from the main pool; match them in any order.
Powerball uses five numbers from 1–69 plus one Powerball from 1–26. Mega Millions uses five numbers from 1–70 plus one Mega Ball from 1–24.
The separate sixth number, drawn from its own smaller pool.
It only counts against the bonus-ball number on your ticket, so a matching main number never counts as a match for it.
Numbers chosen at random by the lottery terminal instead of by you.
A Quick Pick has exactly the same odds as numbers you choose yourself — no combination is more likely to be drawn than any other.
An option that multiplies non-jackpot prizes.
Power Play costs $1 extra per Powerball play and can multiply non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x. Megaplier is built into the $5 Mega Millions ticket and can multiply non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x. Neither changes the jackpot.
The time before a drawing when ticket sales stop.
The cutoff is set by each state lottery and varies, so check your own state's lottery rather than assuming you can buy right up to draw time.
A game run jointly by member state lotteries and sold across most states.
Powerball and Mega Millions are the best-known examples. The odds and the draw are the same everywhere; ticket sales, claim rules, taxes and deadlines are set by the state where you buy.
When nobody wins the jackpot, it carries over and grows for the next drawing.
Rollovers are why jackpots reach large amounts. Odds do not change when a jackpot rolls over; only the prize and ticket sales grow.
Jackpots, cash value and annuities.
The top prize, won by matching all the numbers including the bonus ball.
Jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338 for Powerball and 1 in 290,472,336 for Mega Millions.
The headline amount, which is a projection, not a guaranteed payout.
It is the projected annuity value of the prize and can change before the drawing as ticket sales and interest rates change. The amount you would actually receive up front is the cash value, which is lower.
The jackpot paid out over time instead of all at once.
The advertised jackpot is the total of 30 annual payments: an initial payment plus 29 payments that grow about 5% a year, not 30 equal checks.
The one-time amount in the prize fund, offered instead of the annuity.
It is always well below the advertised jackpot, because the advertised figure is the annuity total including future payments.
Choosing the cash option: one payment now instead of annual payments.
A lump sum is taxed as income in the year you receive it, which is why the tax bracket matters so much for large wins.
When more than one ticket wins, the jackpot is divided equally among the winners.
The larger the jackpot, the more tickets are sold and the more likely it is to be shared, which lowers the average value of a win.
A fixed combination of matches that wins a specific prize.
Powerball has nine ways to win and the overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.9. Mega Millions' overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 23.
A group buying tickets together and agreeing to share any prize.
Because a ticket belongs to whoever holds it, groups usually put their agreement in writing before the drawing. Rules for claiming as a group vary by state.
What happens after a win.
Tax the lottery takes out for the IRS before paying you: 24% on wins over $5,000.
Withholding is a prepayment, not your final bill. A very large win can push you into the top 37% bracket, and the difference is due when you file.
The rate applied to each slice of income; winnings are stacked on top of your other income.
A jackpot in one tax year can push most of it into the highest bracket, which is why the amount withheld often falls short of what you owe.
State tax on winnings, which depends entirely on where you bought the ticket and where you live.
Some states tax lottery winnings and some don't. Check your state's page for its current rules rather than relying on a general figure.
The window you have to turn in a winning ticket before it expires.
Deadlines are set by each state lottery and differ widely, so a winning ticket can become worthless if you wait too long. Our state table lists each state's rule.
Whether a state lets a winner keep their name out of the public record.
Some states allow it, some allow it only through a legal entity, and some publish winners' names by law. It is decided by the state where the ticket was sold.
Claiming a prize in the name of a trust or LLC rather than your own name.
Where a state permits it, this can keep a winner's name off the announcement. Whether it is allowed, and how, varies by state, so get legal advice before you sign anything.
Writing your name on the back of a ticket, which most lotteries recommend.
A lottery ticket is generally treated as belonging to whoever holds it, so a signature helps show it is yours if it's lost or stolen.
A lottery office where larger prizes are validated and paid.
Small prizes can usually be redeemed at a retailer, while bigger ones are claimed with the state lottery. The dollar threshold differs by state.
The math, and the myths.
How many equally likely outcomes there are for each winning one.
A "1 in 292,201,338" chance means that, on average, one ticket in about 292 million wins. Each ticket has that chance on every drawing.
The chance a single play wins the top prize.
Powerball: 1 in 292,201,338. Mega Millions: 1 in 290,472,336. They are fixed by each game's number matrix and do not depend on how big the jackpot is or what state you play in.
The average amount a ticket returns over a very large number of plays.
For lottery tickets it is usually below the ticket price once taxes and the chance of sharing the jackpot are counted.
Numbers drawn more often (hot) or less often (cold) in past drawings.
It's a fun way to look at history, but it has no power to predict the next draw, because every drawing is independent of the last.
The mistaken belief that past drawings change the chances of future ones.
A number that hasn't appeared in months is no more "due" than any other, and one that just came up is no less likely.
A selection method where every combination is equally likely.
Powerball and Mega Millions use physical ball machines, and Quick Picks use a random number generator. Neither favors any pattern, including birthdays.
Where tickets come from.
A store authorized by a state lottery to sell tickets and pay small prizes.
Only licensed retailers can legally sell lottery tickets. Our retailer directory lists them by state.
A payment many lotteries make to the store that sells a winning ticket.
Whether a bonus exists, and how large it is, depends on the state lottery.
A store that has sold a big winning ticket, usually because it sells a lot of tickets.
A store's win history doesn't change your odds. The odds are the same for every ticket wherever it's bought.
A printed ticket whose prize is revealed by scratching it, with no drawing.
Each game prints a fixed number of tickets with a set number of prizes, so the odds are printed on the game, not shared across games.
How many of a scratch-off game's biggest prizes haven't been claimed yet.
State lotteries publish these counts. A game with all its top prizes claimed can still be on shelves, so check before you buy.
Draw games wait for a drawing; instant games tell you right away.
Powerball, Mega Millions and Millionaire for Life are draw games. Scratch-offs are instant games.
These in-depth guides use the same state-by-state data as our calculators: Annuity vs. lump sum, tax withholding and claim anonymity by state.