# So what causes the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots to go back down to the minimum? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2014, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-causes-the-mega-millions-and-powerball-jackpots-to-go-back-down-to-the-minimum/688981 "2014-05-22T03:08:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-causes-the-mega-millions-and-powerball-jackpots-to-go-back-down-to-the-minimum/688981/1 "2014-05-22T03:08:37Z")
The jackpots keep rising and rising. Then, one day, without anyone winning, they go back down to the minimums (not at the same time, but both games do this). Can you tell me how this is determined? The Mega Millions jackpot was $143-ish million yesterday, and today it’s back down to $15 million. Not that I play the lottery or anything… ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-causes-the-mega-millions-and-powerball-jackpots-to-go-back-down-to-the-minimum/688981/2 "2014-05-22T03:15:08Z")
Someone won. It’s as simple as that. They may not know WHO won, but they know the winning numbers were issued somewhere. In terms of the $149MM winner, the ticket was sold in Pennsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-causes-the-mega-millions-and-powerball-jackpots-to-go-back-down-to-the-minimum/688981/3 "2014-05-22T03:24:54Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Someone won. It’s as simple as that. > > They may not know WHO won, but they know the winning numbers were issued somewhere. In terms of the $149MM winner, the ticket was sold in Pennsylvania. Oh, I see. So no winner is listed on the Indiana site–I guess it just lists Indiana winners. Duh, my bad! ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-causes-the-mega-millions-and-powerball-jackpots-to-go-back-down-to-the-minimum/688981/4 "2014-05-22T05:01:09Z")
That $15 million is the initial jackpot amount. Or $1 million or so for the individual state lotteries. Then it starts growing based upon sales of tickets. And when they say that they have $15 million in the jackpot, they don’t, they really only have half that amount. This half is what they give you when you take the cash option pay out. Then you pay a big chunk of taxes on this half jackpot and end up with about 2/3 or less of half a jackpot. If you want to get the full jackpot amount you have to take the annuity pay out over 25 years or so. So don’t get excited about the next $200 million dollar jackpot, they don’t really have $200 million laying around to give you. It is just a bit of creating advertising, or lying if you prefer the direct wording. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-causes-the-mega-millions-and-powerball-jackpots-to-go-back-down-to-the-minimum/688981/5 "2014-05-22T06:17:49Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > **And when they say that they have $15 million in the jackpot, they don’t, they really only have half that amount. This half is what they give you when you take the cash option pay out. Then you pay a big chunk of taxes on this half jackpot and end up with about 2/3 or less of half a jackpot.** If you want to get the full jackpot amount you have to take the annuity pay out over 25 years or so. Well, okay. I could live on that. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-causes-the-mega-millions-and-powerball-jackpots-to-go-back-down-to-the-minimum/688981/6 "2014-05-22T06:55:50Z")
Yes - imagine how heartbreaking it would be to only win many tens of millions. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-causes-the-mega-millions-and-powerball-jackpots-to-go-back-down-to-the-minimum/688981/7 "2014-05-22T10:38:14Z")
Over here the winner of the Euro Millions gets the lot, in one go, tax free. > [@](#): > > The Biggest EuroMillions Jackpot pool that was won ever was for Draw Number 510 on Friday 10th August 2012. The lucky ticket holders that scooped the impressive €190 million were Adrian and Gillian Bayford from Suffolk in England. £190m is about $321m at todays rates - less back then.