Both Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots start off a summer season of fun by offering big jackpots that together top $600 million.

Tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot stands at a $290 million annuity that is worth $162.3 million in cash. The Powerball jackpot stands at a $312 million annuity that is worth $175.1 million in cash for Wednesday’s drawing.

The two jackpots have been dueling for weeks to see which one can offer the biggest prize and Powerball crossed the $300 million mark first after no one won Monday’s jackpot.

“Part of the fun of this summer will be seeing how high these jackpots can go and who will win them,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “If they are not won this week, they will only get hotter. One ticket is all it takes to win.”

With nine different ways to win, both Powerball and Mega Millions provide ample opportunities for players in North Carolina to start their summer off right by winning big cash prizes offered by both games.

Someone won $50,000 in Monday’s drawing with a ticket purchased in Cary from the Snack Shop on N.C 55. The lucky ticket matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million.

Players can buy Powerball or Mega Millions tickets at any lottery retail location or through Online Play on the lottery’s website, www.nclottery.com.

Ticket sales from draw games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.