Reference
Frequently asked questions
Short answers, with links to the longer guides where the arithmetic lives. Nothing here is a recommendation to play, and nothing changes the printed odds.
What are the jackpot odds for Mega Millions and Powerball?
Mega Millions is 1 in 290,472,336 (5 of 70 + 1 of 24, $5 a play). Powerball is 1 in 292,201,338 (5 of 69 + 1 of 26, $2 a play). Those figures are combinations, not estimates: C(70, 5) × 24 and C(69, 5) × 26. The full prize tables are in the odds comparison.
Can past winning numbers predict the next drawing?
No. Each drawing reloads a full set of balls. Knowing last Friday's result does not change tonight's probabilities — that is the definition of an independent trial. A chi-square test of 2,312 drawings on this site is consistent with a fair game. The full argument, with the test.
Do hot or cold numbers work?
They appear on charts because some numbers have been drawn more often than others — which is exactly what a fair random process produces over a few thousand drawings. Simulated fair histories of the same length produce the same extremes. A ranking that reshuffles when you change the analysis window is not information. The three tests we ran.
Does this site sell lottery tickets or guarantee a win?
Neither. We do not sell, broker or deliver tickets, and we do not take wagers. Generated numbers are for entertainment purposes only. Every ticket in a given game has the same jackpot probability. Nothing here can improve it. If you want to play, buy a ticket from an authorised retailer where that is legal for you.
How is a jackpot taxed in the United States?
Lottery prizes are ordinary income. The lottery withholds 24% federal tax on prizes above $5,000, but a large jackpot is taxed at the 37% top federal bracket, so more is usually owed at filing. State tax ranges from 0% to about 11%. The advertised jackpot is an annuity; the cash option is roughly half of that before tax. Worked examples. This is not tax advice.
When are the drawings, in US Eastern Time?
Mega Millions: Tuesdays & Fridays at 11:00 p.m. ET. Powerball: Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. ET. All dates on this site are Eastern Time drawing dates.
Why does the history start in 2015 and 2017, not at launch?
Both games have changed their ball pools. Numbers that did not exist under older rules cannot be compared with current ones. Powerball's current 5/69 + 1/26 matrix began on October 7, 2015; Mega Millions' 5/70 white balls on October 31, 2017. Mixing eras is the usual way lottery “hot number” tables go wrong. Methodology.
What changed in Mega Millions in April 2025?
The ticket became $5, the Mega Ball pool shrank from 25 to 24, the optional Megaplier was replaced by a built-in 2X–10X multiplier on every play, and jackpot odds improved to 1 in 290,472,336. The full breakdown.
Where do you get the winning numbers?
The New York State Open Data portal republishes the official multi-state results (Mega Millions, Powerball). Feeds can lag. Never claim a prize from numbers shown here — only your state lottery can validate a ticket.
Who can I contact?
Lottery Num Lab edits this site. Email contact@lotterynumberlab.com for corrections, privacy requests or advertising questions. We cannot check tickets, claim prizes, or speak for any lottery. If gambling is causing harm, call 1-800-GAMBLER. About and contact.
Related: glossary · how the figures are computed · responsible play.