Set Limits When Playing for Large Powerball and Mega Millions Jackpots

Two big jackpots are up for grabs in the next Powerball® and Mega Millions® drawings. Because of these high jackpots, the Nebraska Lottery reminds customers to set spending and time limits.

A string of drawings without a jackpot winner has produced the second-largest Powerball jackpot of 2026. There have been 35 consecutive drawings since August 15 without a jackpot winner. This run has grown the estimated jackpot for the Wednesday, November 4 drawing to $835 million or $357.9 million with the cash option selected.

Mega Millions has also seen its jackpot grow over the last few months. There have been 24 drawings since July 31 without a jackpot winner. The estimated jackpot for the Friday, October 23 drawing is $505 million or $213.3 million with the cash option selected.

The dual jackpot runs have produced some large Nebraska winners.

• A $50,000 Powerball winning ticket for the Sept. 28 drawing was sold at Casey's #6140, 107 S 40th St, Omaha.
• A $50,000 Powerball winning ticket for the Oct. 5 drawing was sold at Pump & Pantry #32, 604 E Hwy 30, Cozad.
• A $5,000 Mega Millions winning ticket for the Oct. 16 drawing was sold at Kimber's, 68 Hwy 83, Stapleton.

The largest Mega Millions jackpot on record occurred in August 2023 when one winner in Florida won a $1.602 billion jackpot. The largest Powerball jackpot on record occurred in November 2022 when one winner in California won a $2.040 billion jackpot.

Know Your Limit                                                          

Because of the high jackpots, the Nebraska Lottery encourages customers to set limits and play within their means. “It’s important for Nebraska Lottery players to remember that no matter how large the jackpot is, the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 290 million, and the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million,” said Lottery Director Brian Rockey. “Your odds of winning remain the same, regardless of how many tickets are purchased or how many people play.”

If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, free help is available at problemgambling.nebraska.gov.

Published on 11/04/2026