About
What this site is, and who runs it
Lottery Number Lab is an independent statistics project about the two national US lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball. It publishes the probability mathematics behind both games, measures the complete drawing record of each, and keeps an archive of past winning numbers. A dashboard can sample combinations from that history; that tool is optional and does not sell tickets, take wagers, or promise a win.
Who runs this
Lottery Num Lab edits Lottery Number Lab, based in the United States. Editorial decisions — what to publish, which eras to analyse, how to word the disclaimers — are made here, not by an advertiser or a lottery.
We usually reply within a few business days. We cannot help with claiming prizes, checking tickets, or anything requiring access to lottery systems — only your state lottery can do that.
Editorial approach
Every number published here is derived, not copied. The odds tables are computed from the official ball matrices using the standard combination formula, and they reproduce the prize charts published by both lotteries exactly. The statistics — frequencies, dry spells, sum distributions, odd/even splits — are computed from 920 Mega Millions drawings and 1,392 Powerball drawings, taken from an official open-data feed. When we cannot verify something, we leave it out.
We also try to be unusually blunt about what statistics can and cannot do for a lottery player. Drawings are independent events; no analysis of past results improves anyone's odds. Our own generator is a way to explore the data and to produce lines that look like real winning combinations — nothing more. Anywhere that distinction could be misread, we state it again.
Where the data comes from
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| New York State Open Data — Mega Millions winning numbers | 920 drawings from October 31, 2017 onward |
| New York State Open Data — Powerball winning numbers | 1,392 drawings from October 7, 2015 onward |
| megamillions.com and powerball.com | Game rules, prize structures, draw schedules and official odds statements |
Results are cached in this site's own snapshot and can be refreshed live from the open-data feed using the button on either generator page. Even so, an open-data feed can lag or contain errors: never claim a prize based on numbers shown here. Verify with your state lottery or the official game website.
Independence
This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or connected to the Mega Millions Consortium, the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), any state lottery, or any lottery courier or ticket reseller. Game names and logos belong to their respective owners and are used only to describe the games discussed.
How the site is funded
Pages may display third-party advertising, which is how the hosting and data costs are covered. Advertising is served by an external network and does not influence what we publish; we do not accept payment for coverage, and we do not run affiliate links to ticket sellers or "lottery system" products. See our privacy policy for what advertising means for your data.
Corrections and contact
If you find a figure you believe is wrong, please tell us — with a source if you have one — and we will check it against the methodology and correct the page. The same address handles privacy requests, advertising questions and general feedback.