Compare Lottery Games
Side-by-side comparison of Powerball and Mega Millions odds, expected value, and payouts. Select your state for tax-adjusted calculations.
Better ticket this week
Powerball
Powerball is the better ticket this week — but both still lose money on average.
Side-by-side comparison of game structure, odds, and average return per ticket. Enter jackpot amounts and select your state for a tax-adjusted comparison.
$
$300M advertised
$
$250M advertised
Best Value
Powerball
Return / Ticket
-$1.37
Jackpot Odds
1 in 292,201,338
Any-Prize Odds
1 in 25
Breakeven
$834M
Mega Millions
Return / Ticket
-$1.48
Jackpot Odds
1 in 302,575,350
Any-Prize Odds
1 in 24
Breakeven
$886M
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | Powerball | Mega Millions |
|---|---|---|
| Jackpot Odds | 1 in 292,201,338 | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| Any-Prize Odds | 1 in 25 | 1 in 24 |
| Return per $2 Ticket | -$1.37 | -$1.48 |
| Ticket Price | $2.00 | $2.00 |
Highlighted cell = advantage for that game
Looking for a better long-run return?
Both lotteries pay back far less than they cost, on average. Prediction markets offer fundamentally better odds. Track real-time prices on our live dashboard.