Compare Largest Jackpots Won
It is generally believed that Spainish Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad is the world largest lottery. On Christmas 2003 its prize fund approached around $2.2 billion with the first prize of $470 million and the second one of $235 million. However, as every number entered is printed on 170 tickets which are usually sold in fractions (usually tenths), the El Gordo prizes are usually split between the multiple winners. Therefore the winnings single players receive are generally less than in the other popular lotteries and are far from the “winner-take-all” concept popular elsewhere.
Mega Millions reported world largest lottery prize of $390,000,000 hit on the 6th of March 2007 and shared between two payers, one from Georgia and another one from New Jersey.
The largest Powerball jackpot was taken by eight co-workers from Nebraska meat processing plant who jointly bought a single ticket that has earned them $365,000,000 during the draw held on the 18th of February 2006.
$193 million California Lotto jackpot was shared among three players in February 16, 2002, turning to be the largest in the history of the state lottery game.
$45.8 million appeared to be the largest Lotto jackpot in the Michigan Lottery records, won in 1995 and shared by three winners.
Over $100 million jackpot, the largest in the history of the Florida Lottery, was taken in September 14, 1990 when six tickets holders split a $106.5 million jackpot, each getting $17.75 million.
An estimated $145 million Texas lottery jackpot was hit in June 19, 2004.
Euromillions largest jackpot was taken on the 3rd of February 2006 when three players, two from France and one from Portugal, shared EUR 183 million.
Italian SuperEnalotto largest lottery winning received so far was hit on the 4th of May 2005 and amounted to EUR 71,800,000.
German National Lottery biggest lottery winning of EUR37,600,000 was taken on the 7th of October 2006.
Largest UK prize was hit on the 6th of January 1996 and totaled at GBP 42,000,000.
Compare Odds
At the moment of writing Powerball has better chances to win than Mega Millions, namely 1:146 million.
However, it is expected that Powerball will change its double matrix in January 2009, making its jackpot more difficult to win (1:195 million) versus the current Mega Millions game (1:176 million).
Mega Millions is expected to alter its matrixes as well; it is unknown when, or to what extent, as of August 2008.
On January 4, 2009, Florida will join the Powerball game. They say this is one of the major reasons behind the change of Powerball double matrix.
Apparently, Florida lotto has better odds than California lottery as the former sum up at 1:23 million while California Superlotto odds are at 1:41 million.
Chances to hit Texas lottery are now at almost 1:26 million.
New York Lottery's odds amount to 1:45 million while Michigan lottery's odds are only at about 1:11 million.