The June 2 Powerball jackpot sounds staggering - $260 million - but just how big is that all-time?
According to Powerball.com, it's No. 9 for a Powerball annuity, and the 20th biggest ever for any U.S. lottery.
Here's a list that includes the Top 10 for both Powerball and Mega Millions, the other major multistate lottery. Unless specified, the jackpot was won by a single ticket. In parentheses is the rank for that particular lottery. The Big Game was the precursor to Mega Millions.
1. $390 million, Mega Millions (1), won March 6, 2007, by 2 tickets, in Georgia and New Jersey.
2. $365 million, Powerball (1), won Feb. 18, 2006, in Nebraska. (Biggest win ever for a single ticket.)
3. $363 million, Big Game (1), won May 9, 2000, by 2 tickets, in Illinois and Michigan.
4. $340 million, Powerball (2), won Oct. 19, 2005, in Oregon.
5. $336 million, Mega Millions (2), won Aug. 28, 2009, by two tickets. in New York and California.
6. $331 million, Big Game (2), won April 16, 2002, by three tickets, in Georgia, Illinois and New Jersey.
7. $330 million, Mega Millions (3), won Aug. 31, 2007, by four tickets, in New Jersey, Maryland, Texas and Virginia.
8. $315 million, Mega Millions (4), won Nov. 15, 2005, by 1 tickets in California.
9. $314.9 million, Powerball (3), won Dec. 25, 2002, by 1 ticket in West Virginia.
10. $314.3 million, Powerball (4), won Aug. 25, 2007, in Indiana.
11. $295.7 million, Powerball (5), won July 29, 1998, in Indiana.
12. $295 million, Powerball (6), won Aug. 25, 2001, in four states, Delaware, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Minnesota.
13. $294 million, Mega Millions (5), won July 2, 2004, in Maryland.
14. $276.3 million, Powerball (7), won by March 15, 2008, in West Virginia.
15. $275 million, Mega Millions (6), won Feb. 22, 2008, in Georgia.
16. $270 million, Mega Millions (7), won Feb. 28, 2006, in Ohio.
17. $266 million, Mega Millions (8), won May 4, 2010, in California.
18. $265 million, Mega Millions (9), won April 18, 2006 in Ohio.
19. $261.3 million, Powerball (8) won July 9, 2003, by 2 tickets, in Pennsylvania and Missouri.
20. $260 million, Powerball (9). Drawing scheduled for June 2, 2010.
21. $259.9 million, Powerball (10), won Aug. 19, 2009, in South Carolina.
22. 258.5 million, Powerball (11), won April 21, 2009, in Missouri.
22. $258 million, Mega Millions (10), won Sept. 16, 2005, in New Jersey. (Biggest jackpot win ever in New Jersey.)
For more on lotteries, go to www.philly.com/philly/news/lottery, www.powerball.com or www.megamillions.com.
