Not one week has gone by since the inauguration of Joe Biden as the next president, and there have already been 69 new millionaires in America's two multi-state lottery games.
Jackpots that both began building in August and September both had their grand prizes hit in the first three days of Biden's term. A $730 million Powerball prize hit in nearby Maryland not even 12 hours after Biden took his oath as the 46th President of the United States.
Two days later, a ticket was sold in Michigan that won the $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot. That prize was the second-highest jackpot ever in that game, and only the third jackpot in America to ever hit $1 billion.
In all, 69 tickets won at least $1 million in the first four days of Biden's term, including an astounding 44 tickets for a $23 million Powerball drawing on Saturday. That game reset to the $20 million minimum after the $730 million win, but the game rose to $23 million after ticket sales exceeded expectations, according to the Powerball website.
Here's a breakdown of Powerball and Mega Millions millionaire winnings since Joe Biden was sworn in as the new president less than a week ago.
01/20/21 Powerball $731.1 million jackpot
1 grand prize winner from Maryland ($731.1 million or $546.8 million cash option)
12 second-prize tickets worth $1 million each
1 second-prize ticket worth $2 million
01/22/21 Mega Millions $1.05 billion jackpot
1 grand prize ticket sold in Michigan ($1.05 billion or $776.6 million cash option)
8 second-prize tickets worth $1 million each
2 second-prize tickets worth $2 million each
01/23/21 Powerball $23 million jackpot
1 grand prize ticket sold in New Jersey ($23 million or $17.3 million cash option)
35 second-prize winners worth $1 million each
8 second-prize winner worth $2 million each
Add up the winners, and it's 69 new millionaires across America.
The next drawings for each of the two multi-state lottery games will be Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, which will complete the first full week of Biden's presidency following the 2020 election.
Powerball is a multi-state lottery played every Wednesday and Saturday, and one of America's two biggest lottery jackpot games. Powerball jackpots start at $20 million, and other prizes pay from $1 million to $2 million with a Power Play. Tickets are $2. You can check the numbers for tonight, or any past winning numbers, on the official Powerball website.
Mega Millions is the other multi-state lottery every Tuesday and Friday night, and it is one of America's two biggest lottery jackpot games. Mega Millions jackpots start at $20 million, and other prizes pay from $1 million to $2 million or more with a Megaplier. Tickets are $2 per line, and odds of winning with a $2 Mega Millions ticket are one in 303 million. For more information on Mega Millions, or to check your past numbers, visit its website.
