Mega Millions jackpot tops $700 million as Powerball rises to $567 million

July 21, 2026 Posted by NC Lottery at 2:12 PM

The Mega Millions jackpot just crossed a major milestone while the Powerball jackpot also keeps climbing with the two games combining to offer over $1.27 billion in jackpots this week.

The $707 million Mega Millions jackpot ranks as the tenth largest in its history. A winner in tonight’s Mega Millions drawing would have the choice of taking home the jackpot as an annuity or $307.7 million in cash.

A winner in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing would have the choice of taking home the $567 million jackpot as an annuity or $251.8 million in cash.

As the jackpots continue to grow, North Carolinians are taking home other nice prizes:

Friday’s Mega Millions drawing saw a lucky player match four white balls and the yellow Mega Ball to win $20,000. The winning ticket was purchased at Carlton's Tanglewood on Clemmons Road in Clemmons.
Saturday’s Powerball drawing saw a lucky player match four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000. The winning ticket came from the Harris Teeter on Oleander Drive in Wilmington.

The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 290 million. The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million.

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

7 COMMENTS

7/23/2026 07:23 - Angela A.

LOL this is too funny @NCEL...We know it was going to be a Pick-3 double draw and we get double repeats... you can't make this up in a movie! 2026, Jul 5 4 2 7 2026, Jul 22 7 2 4 2026, Jul 22 7 8 2 (Day) 2 7 8 (Night) With the 4 as a repeat Fireball for both night draws... ONE WORD!

7/23/2026 05:06 - Yrobal N.

Did I win that would be greatNC Lottery
Hi there! You can check to see if your printed ticket was a winner by scanning your tickets on our mobile app or by visiting your closest retailer. If you played online, you will be notified via email.

7/22/2026 07:20 - Kimberly D.

Lol @NCEL! I win in other states with ease. I know when to hold em and when to fold em. Players are catching on! Other states repeat, but I’ve never seen a state repeat like NC does. Like I said, I’ll love to see popular numbers such as trips and quads to repeat like the others, but we all know that won’t happen LOL!! And other states have done it!

7/22/2026 06:00 - michael b.

When did the pick 3 raise the winning amount when playing any way from 80.00 on 50cents and 160.00 on a $1.00NC Lottery
Hi, Michael! You can win $80 on a 50-cent Any 3-way play and $160 on a $1 Any 3-way play. You could also create more winning combinations with Fireball. You can learn more about the prize structure for Pick 3: https://nclottery.com/pick3-how-to-play.

7/22/2026 02:01 - Kimberly D.

@AngelaA. I agree!!! And they always respond in the most generic way. It’s combinations of numbers that haven’t been out in years. But, I guarantee a trip or quad would not repeat 2, 3, 4 times a month, like the others. We the players see it and they play all day lol. The house always win. Players got to slim back or not play all together.NC Lottery
Hi Kimberly! We understand that it can be frustrating when the results don't go your way. Each drawing is conducted independently, and each eligible number has a chance of being selected in every draw, regardless of what has been drawn before. We only want our players to play if they're having fun. If you are not enjoying playing the lottery, it might be time to take a break. If you continue to play we are wishing you lots of luck!

7/22/2026 07:27 - Angela A.

@NCEL Yet another Pick 3 repeat for the month 2026, Jul 12 7 2 7 2026, Jul 21 7 2 7 An last ball standing is the Yellow ball for tonight. LOL Why it have not repeated? We know the answer to that, but we like to hear your reasoning.NC Lottery
Our team has strict security procedures in place to ensure that every set of numbers has the exact same chance of being drawn in every drawing. This includes using a randomly selected ball machine and randomly selected ball set during each different drawing. Every combination has a 1 in 1,000 chance of being drawn in each and every drawing. In games where you can choose numbers from 0-9, it’s no surprise that we see similar patterns come up every so often.

7/21/2026 11:13 - jenilyn q.

I hope I winNC Lottery
Wishing you lots of luck Jenilyn!

Mega Millions jackpot tops $700 million as Powerball rises to $567 million

July 21, 2026 Posted by NC Lottery at 2:12 PM

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