Mega Millions players will get slightly better odds and should start seeing more billion-dollar jackpots, but at a cost — literally — with tickets for the multistate lottery more than doubling in price from $2 to $5.

Remember this moment because it probably won’t last: A U.S. lottery jackpot has soared above $1 billion, and that’s still a big deal.

Americans still dreaming of a really big Christmas present can keep that dream alive during Friday’s Mega Millions drawing for a jackpot worth an estimated $1.15 billion.

The cost of a Mega Millions lottery ticket will soon more than double, but officials said they’re confident players won’t mind paying more after changes that will lead to larger prizes and more frequent winners.

In this special report we are joined by a mathematician to look at the best possible way to increase your odds of winning scratch off tickets

An immigrant from Laos who has been battling cancer won an enormous $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot in Oregon earlier this month.

Oregon officials say a person with a ticket matching all six Powerball numbers in Saturday’s $1.3 billion jackpot has come forward to claim the prize.

Someone in Oregon has claimed the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot won last weekend, which is the eighth-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

The Powerball lottery drawing has been delayed to complete procedures required before the numbers are announced.

Powerball is about to match a record for lottery drawings with a stretch of more than three months without a jackpot winner.

The Powerball jackpot has increased to an estimated $865 million after yet another drawing without a big winner, continuing a winless streak that dates to New Year’s Day.

The stars have aligned in the lottery universe like never before, with two jackpots totaling nearly $2 billion.

The winning numbers for a nearly $1 billion Mega Millions lottery prize will offer sudden riches to any lucky player who matches them and almost certain disappointment for everyone else.

The Powerball Jackpot is up to $685 million with a cash option worth more than $344 million. The next drawing is on Wednesday at 10:59 p.m.

Another Powerball drawing, another chance at a jackpot that is inching toward a billion dollars.

The numbers were drawn for an estimated $785 million Powerball jackpot that is the ninth-largest lottery prize.

The Mega Millions lottery jackspot is approaching $1 billion ahead of Friday’s drawing.

Your chances of winning the lottery are extremely slim — even as more and more eye top prizes soaring to jaw-dropping heights.

The new jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing would be the seventh highest in U.S. history and the third largest for Powerball.

The new jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing would be the seventh highest in U.S. history and the third largest for Powerball.

Convenience stores are swamped as the Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots soar to some of their largest in the history of the games.

Winning the lottery is actually a curse? It has been the case for many winners.

The Powerball Jackpot is at more than half a billion dollars with the next drawing set for Wednesday night.

Another giant lottery prize is up for grabs.

Thinking of lining up at the mini-mart for a shot at a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

An estimated $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot drawing has people lined up at convenience stores across the country to buy tickets.

Call it the Golden Age of lottery jackpots.

There is still a chance to start 2023 as a multi-millionaire.

Someone who bought a Powerball ticket in California has won a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot.

Someone who bought a Powerball ticket in Southern California has won a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot.

The estimated $1.9 billion Powerball jackpot is nearly $400 million larger than the previous record jackpot and will keep growing until someone finally wins the prize.

The Powerball jackpot has reached a record estimated high of $1.6 billion, leading longtime players and first-timers alike to flock to buy tickets ahead of Saturday night’s drawing.

Strong sales boosted a Powerball jackpot to an estimated $1.6 billion, making it the largest lottery prize in history.

The largest lottery prize in U.S. history has people across the country clamoring for a chance to win a mega jackpot.

Lottery players hoping to win this week's massive Powerball jackpot might be smart to dream of an annuity, rather than a truckload of cash.

Perplexed that it seems no one can win the gigantic $1.5 billion Powerball prize.

Think you’re a sure bet to win an estimated $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot.

It’s the fifth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.

There were no big treats from the Halloween night Powerball drawing, as none of the tickets sold matched all six numbers.

The Powerball jackpot keeps getting larger because players keep losing.

A massive lottery jackpot got a little bigger as the top Powerball prize climbed to an estimated $825 million ahead of Saturday night’s drawing.

No one won an estimated $700 million Powerball jackpot, meaning the big prize will grow to an estimated $800 million for the next drawing.

The eighth-largest lottery jackpot will be up for grabs when numbers are drawn for an estimated $700 million Powerball grand prize.

Across the U.S., state lottery systems use that revenue to boost education, tourism, transportation and much more.

A 56-year-old man in Hilliard claimed a $1 million prize after playing the Powerball Draw game, according to a news release Monday from the Florida Lottery.

Powerball tickets sold in Wisconsin and California were winners of the latest jackpot and will split $632 million.

The next drawing — on Wednesday night — will be at least an estimated $575 million, CBS said.

Someone could end 2021 by becoming an instant millionaire.

After 40 drawings without a big Powerball winner, a single ticket sold in California matched all six numbers and was the lucky winner of the nearly $700 million jackpot prize.

The biggest lottery prize in more than eight months is growing larger after no ticket matched all five numbers and the Powerball in Saturday night’s drawing.

The giant Powerball jackpot has grown even bigger, with officials raising the estimated payout to $635 million ahead of Saturday night’s drawing.

The Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated $620 million after nearly four months without a big winner.

A little Fourth of July cleaning helped a Jacksonville man "clean up" when he found a valuable lottery ticket in a drawer.

The person who bought a $286 million winning Powerball ticket at a Circle K on the westside still hasn’t come forward to claim the prize.

The man who scored a $235.4 million Powerball prize last month has come forward — and he’s Florida’s youngest jackpot winner ever in the multi-state lottery game.

Idaho Lottery Director Jeff Anderson addresses the House State Affairs Committee at the Statehouse in Boise, Idaho on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. The panel killed legislation that would have allowed the Powerball game with multi-million dollar jackpots to continue in the state. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler)BOISE, Idaho – Idaho lawmakers fearing foreign participation in the Powerball lottery killed legislation on Wednesday that would have allowed the game with huge jackpots to continue in the state after a run of more than 30 years. The move came after Idaho Lottery officials sought a change in state law because Powerball is expanding to include Australia in 2021 and Britain in 2022. Some Idaho lawmakers said they feared that the odds of an Idaho resident winning would be reduced with more players.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One lucky lottery player in Jacksonville won $1 million from the Saturday, Jan. 23 Powerball drawing. The winning ticket was sold at the 7-Eleven located at 902 Margaret Street in Jacksonville. The winning tickets matched all five of the white ball numbers but did not match the Powerball number. The other winning ticket’s were sold in Melbourne, Marianna, Clermont, Cutler Bay and North Port. Florida Powerball winners have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prize.

A patron, who did not want to give his name, uses the lottery ticket vending kiosk at a Smoker Friendly store to purchase tickets for the Mega Millions lottery drawing, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Cranberry Township, Pa. The jackpot for the Mega Millions lottery game has grown to $1 billion ahead of Friday night's drawing after more than four months without a winner. It’s only the third time a lottery jackpot has grown so large, but much has changed since the last time such a big prize was up for grabs in 2018. After a peak in October 2018, Medenica said sales of the big lottery games dropped about 50%, prompting talk among lottery officials about jackpot fatigue. It’s hard to fathom how unlikely it is to beat odds of one in 292.2 million for Powerball or one in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.

Just who will collect the Powerball prize may never be known: Maryland is one of the states that allow winners to remain anonymous. The Powerball jackpot came only a day after nobody won the $970 million Mega Millions prize, the third-largest prize in U.S. history. The biggest prize was a $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016. Most winners opt for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $716.3 million and $546.8 million for Wednesday's Powerball. After the Powerball win, the new jackpot has a $15 million cash value.

The Powerball jackpot is the fifth-largest ever, and it will come only a day after nobody won the even-larger Mega Millions prize, which now stands at $970 million. The biggest prize was a $1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016. Such a long stretch without a winner is rare but also reflects the incredibly small odds of winning — one in 292.2 million for Powerball and one in 302.5 million for Mega Millions. Most winners opt for cash prizes, which for Mega Millions would be $716.3 million and $546 million for Powerball. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

If somehow you manage to take home the grand prize in both Mega Millions and Powerball, that’s a nearly $1.6 billion jackpot. If you choose to take the cash option -- you’re looking at a cool $1.1 billion or so. The Tuesday night Mega Millions drawing is the second-largest prize in the game’s history. The world record Powerball jackpot is the $1.586 billion drawing on Jan. 13, 2016, and the current Mega Millions record of $1.537 billion was drawn on Oct. 23, 2018. The jackpots listed by the lotteries are for winners who opt to be paid through an annuity over 30 years.

If a lottery player strikes big in the next Powerball drawing on Wednesday, it would be the fifth-largest jackpot ever in the United States. No one beat the odds in Friday's Mega Millions drawing, so that jackpot grew to an estimated $850 million. It's been nearly two years since a lottery jackpot has grown so large. The estimated cash prize for the next Mega Millions jackpot is $628.2 million. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Going into Saturday, there was over $1 billion total up for grabs between Saturday’s Powerball drawing and the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday. I would put a down payment on a house, if not pay for the whole house, I guess with that amount of money.”The Mega Millions jackpot is at $850 million before taxes, while the Powerball jackpot was at $640 million. There are many things that a person can buy, like a private island to party or just take a quick vacation. Or if you love Shad Khan’s yacht, you could buy one just like it for $200 million. It just costs you a couple dollars.”There are a million and one people things you can do if you win the jackpot, but the biggest problem would probably be saving money as a new millionaire.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, file photo, a customer shows off a Mega Millions lottery ticket after purchasing it, in Orlando, Fla. The next drawing for Mega Millions is Friday night, when a $750 million prize will be up for grabs. The next Mega Millions drawing is Friday night, when an estimated $750 million prize will be up for grabs. The drawing for an estimated $640 million Powerball jackpot will be Saturday night. Your odds of winning either jackpot is exceedingly small, at 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.

Two lottery jackpots, the Mega Millions and Powerball, are each holding prize winnings for more than half a billion dollars. The Mega Millions stands at $750 million making it the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history. The largest-ever was when a ticket holder won more than $1.5 billion in South Carolina in 2019. With two life-changing prizes at stake again, people across the country are buying a ticket for a chance to win. The Powerball drawing is Saturday and the Mega Millions is Friday.

A billboard advertises the jackpots of the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries, in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing were: 4-19-23-25-49 and a Powerball of 14. The Powerball prize drawing was only a day after no one won a $625 million Mega Millions jackpot, causing that prize to grow to $750 million ahead of the next drawing on Friday night. The Mega Millions prize is now the fifth-largest in U.S. history. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A billboard advertises the jackpots of the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries, in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Winning numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing were: 4-19-23-25-49 and a Powerball of 14. The Powerball prize drawing comes only a day after no one won a $625 million Mega Millions jackpot, causing that prize to grow to $750 million ahead the next drawing on Friday night. The Mega Millions prize is now the fifth-largest in U.S. history. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Lottery players have a chance to win the largest jackpots in nearly two years as Tuesday's Mega Millions has grown to an estimated $625 million and Wednesday's Powerball to an estimated $550 million. The Mega Millions $625 million jackpot is the largest lottery prize in nearly two years. The winning numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing of the Mega Millions game were: 12-14-26-28-33, Mega Ball: 09. Nearly all jackpot winners actually take the cash option, which would be an estimated $458.8 million for Mega Millions and $411.4 million for Powerball. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A digital billboard in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, shows jackpots for the Mega Millions and Powerball games. Lottery players have a chance to win the largest jackpots in nearly two years as Mega Millions has grown to $600 million and Powerball has climbed to $550 million. The projected Mega Millions grand prize is the eighth largest in U.S. history, and the Powerball jackpot is the 12th biggest. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million, and the chances are even worse for Mega Millions at one in 302.5 million. Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Sheryll Goedert, 61, managing member of Vacation Life LLC, claimed the $396.9 million jackpot from the POWERBALL® drawing, the Florida Lottery announced. The next POWERBALL drawing will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, March 11, at 10:59 p.m. National POWERBALL drawings are broadcast live, in high-definition, from the Florida Lottery’s state of the art draw studio in Tallahassee. Drawings are also available for viewing on the Florida Lottery website. Winning numbers are available on the Lottery website, at retailers statewide and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. – Someone in southwest Florida purchased a winning Powerball ticket worth almost $397 million, officials with the Florida Lottery said Thursday. The winning ticket was bought from a convenience store in Bonita Springs, Florida. The winner has six months to file a claim for the jackpot. However, if the winner wants a lump sum payment of $276.5 million, the claim must be filed within two months. Wednesday night’s drawing also produced a $1 million winning ticket that was purchased in Coconut Creek, Florida, according to the Florida Lottery.

One person in Florida is a whole lot richer Thursday morning. The winning $396,900,000 Powerball lottery ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven on Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs, according to lottery officials. The winning numbers for Wednesday’s drawing were 9, 12, 15, 31 and 60, with a Powerball of 2. The jackpot is now back to $40 million, with the next drawing taking place Feb. 1.

(KMOV) -- A bartender in Missouri won't soon forget a tip one of her regular customers left for her: a Powerball ticket that won $50,000. The next day, the bar's lottery terminal alerted them that they had sold a big winning ticket. It turns out that winning ticket was Russey's. Her tickets matched four of the five white-ball number drawn on Oct. 19, plus the Powerball. Missouri Lottery said Russey's $50,000 ticket is the 40th sold in Missouri, and the second sold in O'Fallon in 2019.

Over the river and through the woods, to grandmothers house we gobecause she is $80 million dollars richer. A Michigan family hit the massive Powerball drawing on Sept. 21, but collected their winnings on Wednesday. Phillip Chippewa, 54, and his wife, Dawn, took their family along to claim the prize. They both work for and are members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized Native American tribe. RELATED STORIES$768 Million Winning Powerball Ticket Sold in WisconsinPowerball Soars to $750 Million, 4th Largest Lottery Jackpot in U.S. HistoryMan Doesn't Call Out Sick From Work, Wins Powerball

A Connecticut couple was on a road trip to Virginia when they realized they had a $100,000 Powerball ticket tucked away in the sun visor of their car. "Frank checked the tickets while I read the numbers off of the email we matched four numbers, plus the Powerball," Long-Combs told the Connecticut Lottery. She said they kept their lips sealed and didnt tell anyone for superstitious reasons. We didn't tell anybody either, just in case we were wrong. "Once we got back to Connecticut, I went to a lottery retailer and scanned the ticket in a ticket checker,'' Laquitara said.