No $1 billion Powerball, Mega Millions jackpot so far in 2026. Here’s why
Who won the biggest lottery jackpot in US history? Edwin Castro of California, who won $2.04 billion Powerball in 2022.
Half the year is over, and still no billion-dollar lottery jackpot.
Since 2021, there’s been at least one Mega Millions or Powerball lottery that reached that epic milestone every year, and whether it was pure luck or sheer coincidence, 2023 saw four Mega Millions or Powerball jackpots reach and surpass $1 billion.
But as of Thursday, June 18, there have been zero jackpots anywhere close to that figure for 2026.
The biggest lottery jackpot so far for the first half of 2026 fell in the half-a-billion-dollars range: A ticket purchased in Illinois won $533 million in the Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Mega Millions drawing.
The current Mega Millions lottery streak sits at $452 million for Friday, June 19, 2026, or the Juneteenth holiday drawing.
For Powerball, 2026 has seen a whopping five lottery jackpot winners, with three consecutive wins in the $200 million-plus range:
- A player in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, won $209 million in the Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, Powerball drawing.
- Then, a ticket in Arkansas won $249 million in the Monday, March 2, 2026, Powerball drawing.
- On “Easter Monday,” a ticket in Delaware won $231 million for the Monday, April 6, 2026, Powerball drawing.
Currently, Powerball totals $302 million for Saturday, June 20, 2026, the highest amount this year so far for the longtime game.
Biggest lottery winner in history?
Mega Millions and Powerball have reached $1 billion 14 times in history. In the next section, see who won the big jackpots and where the tickets came from.
In 2025, Powerball and Mega Millions crossed the billion-dollar mark three times, with one jackpot as high as $983 million (missing the $1 billion or more club by one rollover drawing). 2023 saw four billion-dollar lottery jackpots, and there were three billion-dollar totals in 2024. In 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California, set a record with his $2.04 billion Powerball win.
Largest Powerball, Mega Millions lottery jackpots ever won?
As of June 18, 2026, there have been 14 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion. These are the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
- $2.04 billion Powerball prize, Nov. 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California
- $1.82 billion Powerball prize, Dec. 24, 2025, won by an anonymous player in Arkansas
- $1.79 billion Powerball prize, Sept. 6, 2025, tickets purchased in St. Louis, Missouri, and Fredericksburg, Texas
- $1.73 billion Powerball prize, Oct. 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck of California (ticket purchased at Midway Market in California)
- $1.586 billion Powerball prize, Jan. 13, 2016, Marvin and Mae Acosta of California, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee
- $1.58 billion Mega Millions prize, Aug. 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
- $1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, Oct. 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
- $1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with the ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
- $1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
- $1.326 billion Powerball prize, April 6, 2024, Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon
- $1.269 billion Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, Rosemary Casarotti of California
- $1.128 billion Mega Millions prize, March 26, 2024, won by an anonymous winner in New Jersey with the ticket purchased at ShopRite Liquor No. 781 in Neptune Township, New Jersey
- $1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
- $1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 22, 2021, won by the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County, Michigan
Does Walmart sell lottery tickets? Where to buy lottery tickets in Florida
In Florida, most gas stations and some grocery stores sell lottery tickets. It’s harder to find a gas station that doesn’t sell Powerball, Mega Millions, Florida Lottery, and scratch-off tickets than it is to find one that does.
Publix also sells lottery tickets and is known for selling many winning tickets. A lesser-known location is Walmart. Whether the Walmart location closest to you sells lottery tickets depends on your state and the store. Many Walmart locations in Florida have self-service lottery ticket vending machines or sell lottery tickets at the customer service desk.
You can use the “Where to Play” search tool on the Florida Lottery website to find a grocery store or gas station near you that sells lottery tickets.
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This content is sourced from www.tcpalm.com and is shared for informational purposes only.
