Powerball, Mega Millions Tickle $2 Billion: What To Know In NY

NEW YORK — Lottery fever is gripping residents of New York as Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots total nearly $2 billion in drawings to be held Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday's drawing is currently $865 million, with a cash payout of $416.1 million. The jackpot grew after no one matched the numbers in Monday's drawing — 7, 11, 19, 53, 68 and red Powerball 23. (There were $1 million winning tickets sold in New York and Florida.)

New York players must buy their Powerball tickets by 10 p.m. to be eligible for Wednesday's drawing at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahasee. To watch the drawings, click HERE.

The Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday's drawing is the larger of the two. It is currently at $1.1 billion, with a cash value of $525.8 million. Numbers in Friday’s drawing were 3, 8, 31, 35, 44 and the gold Mega Ball of 16.

To be eligible for the Mega Millions drawing, New York players must buy their tickets by 10 p.m. Drawings are conducted at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia.

The jackpot prizes in each game may be paid over 30 years, but most winners take the lump sum. They see fewer dollars flow into their account than if they took the 30-year annuity because the federal government takes its cut off the top.