These are the lottery questions people search for most, answered briefly, with links to our longer guides where the details matter. Game prices and tax rules changed in 2025 and 2026, and the answers below reflect the rules in force in October 2026.
What are the odds of winning Powerball or Mega Millions?
The jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338 for Powerball and 1 in 290,472,336 for Mega Millions. Mega Millions' odds improved slightly in April 2025, when the game moved to a $5 ticket with a multiplier built in and shrank the Mega Ball pool to 24.
Your odds of winning something are far better, because the small prizes are easy to hit: about 1 in 24.9 for Powerball and 1 in 23.1 for Mega Millions. For scale, the National Weather Service puts the lifetime odds of being struck by lightning at about 1 in 15,300. Our odds explainer shows where those numbers come from.
How much do you actually take home after taxes?
Often only about a quarter of the advertised jackpot, before state tax. Two things shrink it.
The first is the cash option. The headline jackpot is the total of a 30-payment annuity; the lump sum is the cash in the prize pool today, which is far smaller. On October 3, 2026, Powerball advertised $440 million with a cash value of $181.3 million, about 41%.
The second is tax. Lottery prizes where the winnings minus the wager are over $5,000 have 24% federal tax withheld when you claim, but a jackpot puts you in the 37% top bracket, so you owe the difference when you file. State tax ranges from nothing (in states with no income tax, and California, which doesn't tax lottery prizes) to more than 10% at the top of New York's scale. Taking 37% off that $181.3 million cash value leaves roughly $114 million before any state tax. The full arithmetic is in our federal and state tax breakdown.
Should you take the lump sum or the annuity?
The lump sum is the smaller figure, paid once. The annuity pays the full advertised amount as one immediate payment and 29 annual payments, each 5% bigger than the last, for both Powerball and Mega Millions. The right choice depends on your age, your tax situation and how confident you are about managing a large sum. Our lump sum vs annuity guide walks through the trade-offs.
Can you stay anonymous if you win?
It depends on the state. Some let any winner keep their name private, some only above a prize threshold, and some allow you to claim through a trust or other legal entity. Others treat the winner's name, city and prize amount as public record. Look up your state in the state-by-state anonymity guide before you sign or claim a large prize, because the claiming structure is usually hard to change afterwards.
How long do you have to claim a prize?
Between 90 days and one year from the draw date, depending on the state where you bought the ticket. Some states also set a separate, shorter window for choosing the cash option on a jackpot, so check both dates as soon as you know you've won. See claim deadlines by state.
What should you do first if you win big?
Keep the ticket safe, photograph both sides, and tell as few people as possible. Before you claim a life-changing prize, talk to a lawyer and a tax professional about how to claim, whether to sign the ticket in your own name or a trust's (where the state allows it), and whether to take the cash. Our step-by-step claim guide and what to do if you win cover the order of operations.
Can you buy lottery tickets online?
In some states. A number of state lotteries sell tickets directly through their own websites and apps (iLottery). In some other states, licensed courier services buy a paper ticket on your behalf for a fee. Not everywhere allows either: Texas made it a crime in 2025 to buy or arrange the purchase of lottery tickets over the internet or by phone, which ended courier sales there. See the iLottery state guide and our courier app comparison.
Do you have to be a US citizen to play or collect?
No. Lottery tickets are sold to anyone of legal age who is physically in a state that sells the game, and the prize goes to whoever holds a valid winning ticket. The tax treatment differs, though: gambling winnings paid to nonresident aliens are generally subject to 30% federal withholding, which a tax treaty may reduce. More in can a non-citizen win the US lottery and lottery tax for non-residents.
How old do you have to be?
18 in most states, and older in a few. The minimum is set by the state where you buy. Our age requirements guide has the state-by-state list.
Are some numbers more likely to win than others?
No. In a fair drawing every combination has the same chance every time, and past draws don't change the next one. The hot, cold and overdue figures on our game pages describe what happened in a game's last 50 draws; they don't predict anything, as explained in hot, cold and due numbers. What your choice can affect is how many people you'd split a jackpot with. Many players pick birthdays, so combinations made only of numbers 31 and under are more likely to be shared.
Is Quick Pick better than choosing your own numbers?
Neither changes your odds. A Quick Pick is a random selection with exactly the same chance as any set you choose. If more jackpot winners turn out to be Quick Pick players, that reflects how many Quick Pick tickets are sold, not anything lucky about the terminal. See Quick Picks vs picking your own numbers.
Is the lottery rigged?
Draws are run under controls such as independent auditors watching drawings and certified equipment. The best-known US fraud case was an insider job: Eddie Tipton, information security director at the Multi-State Lottery Association, planted code in the random number generator used for some state drawings and passed predicted numbers to associates. Tickets were cashed in several states between 2005 and 2011; he pleaded guilty in 2017 and was sentenced to up to 25 years. Our is the lottery rigged post covers how drawings are secured. A more common threat to players is the scam message saying you've won a lottery you never entered. Real lotteries never ask you to pay a fee to release a prize; see lottery scams in 2026.
What happens to unclaimed prize money?
Each state decides. Depending on the state, unclaimed prizes may go to the programs the lottery funds, back into future prizes and promotions, or to the state treasury. They don't roll into the jackpot for the next drawing. See unclaimed lottery jackpots.
Where can you check the winning numbers?
Our homepage shows the latest Powerball and Mega Millions results and links to every state's games. The numbers come from an automated results feed that we check every two minutes, so they usually appear shortly after a drawing. If a result ever differs from the state lottery's own, the state lottery's record is the one that counts. Our guide to checking results lists the official sources.
Quick answers
How much does a Powerball or Mega Millions ticket cost in 2026?
Powerball is $2 a play, or $3 with Power Play. Mega Millions has been $5 a play since April 2025, with the multiplier built into every ticket.
How much federal tax is withheld from lottery winnings?
24% on prizes where the winnings minus the wager exceed $5,000. Big winners usually owe more when they file because a jackpot reaches the 37% top bracket. Nonresident aliens are generally withheld at 30%, and state tax may apply too.
Do lottery tickets expire?
Yes. Each state sets its own claim window, usually between 90 days and one year from the draw date.
What happens if you lose a winning lottery ticket?
Usually the prize is lost, because lotteries pay the holder of the ticket. Sign the back once you know how you'll claim, and keep photos of both sides; see lost winning lottery ticket for what a state may accept.
Can a non-citizen win the US lottery?
Yes. Anyone of legal age who buys a ticket in a state that sells the game can claim a prize. Nonresident aliens generally face 30% federal withholding instead of 24%.
When does a lottery win get reported to the IRS?
For payments made in 2026, a lottery prize is reported on Form W-2G when it reaches $2,000 (previously $600). Smaller prizes are still taxable income. See the $2,000 W-2G threshold.
If gambling stops being fun, the national problem gambling helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET.
Sources: Powerball prize chart; Powerball FAQs; Mega Millions how to play; National Weather Service lightning odds; IRS Form W-2G instructions; IRS Publication 515; Texas SB 3070 (2025); Powerball jackpot and cash value from our results feed.
