Half the year is over, and still no billion-dollar lottery jackpot.
Since 2021, there’s been at least one Mega Millions or Powerball lottery that reached that epic milestone every year, and whether it was pure luck or sheer coincidence, 2023 saw four Mega Millions or Powerball jackpots reach and surpass $1 billion.
But as of Thursday, June 18, there have been zero jackpots anywhere close to that figure for 2026.
The biggest lottery jackpot so far for the first half of 2026 fell in the half-a-billion-dollars range: A ticket purchased in Illinois won $533 million in the Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Mega Millions drawing.
The current Mega Millions lottery streak sits at $452 million for Friday, June 19, 2026, or the Juneteenth holiday drawing.
For Powerball, 2026 has seen a whopping five lottery jackpot winners, with three consecutive wins in the $200 million-plus range:
Currently, Powerball totals $302 million for Saturday, June 20, 2026, the highest amount this year so far for the longtime game.
Biggest lottery winner in history?
Mega Millions and Powerball have reached $1 billion 14 times in history. In the next section, see who won the big jackpots and where the tickets came from.
In 2025, Powerball and Mega Millions crossed the billion-dollar mark three times, with one jackpot as high as $983 million (missing the $1 billion or more club by one rollover drawing). 2023 saw four billion-dollar lottery jackpots, and there were three billion-dollar totals in 2024. In 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California, set a record with his $2.04 billion Powerball win.
Largest Powerball, Mega Millions lottery jackpots ever won?
As of June 18, 2026, there have been 14 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion. These are the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history.
Does Walmart sell lottery tickets? Where to buy lottery tickets in Florida
In Florida, most gas stations and some grocery stores sell lottery tickets. It’s harder to find a gas station that doesn’t sell Powerball, Mega Millions, Florida Lottery, and scratch-off tickets than it is to find one that does.
Publix also sells lottery tickets and is known for selling many winning tickets. A lesser-known location is Walmart. Whether the Walmart location closest to you sells lottery tickets depends on your state and the store. Many Walmart locations in Florida have self-service lottery ticket vending machines or sell lottery tickets at the customer service desk.
You can use the “Where to Play” search tool on the Florida Lottery website to find a grocery store or gas station near you that sells lottery tickets.
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: No $1 billion Powerball, Mega Millions jackpot so far in 2026. Here’s why
Reporting by Jennifer Sangalang and Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jennifer Sangalang and Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
