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Mega Millions Jackpot $80 Million Tonight, Powerball $157 Million Tomorrow

By Charisse Van Horn
Published on: 06:11 PST, Feb 9, 2016

Mega Millions and Powerball are gearing up for two large nights. Tonight, Feb. 9, Mega Millions kicks off at 11:00 p.m., with an estimated $80 million jackpot! The $80 million jackpot is the result of no one winning the grand prize for drawings since it reset at $15 million. Tomorrow night will be the Powerball drawing, and the Powerball jackpot is at an estimated $157 million. There hasn’t been a Powerball jackpot winner since Jan. 13, when three winning tickets were sold for the $1.58 billion jackpot. Will tonight and tomorrow see winners for Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots? There’s a lot of cash to go around and as the jackpots rise, so do people’s excitement at playing the lottery.

The Mega Millions drawing takes place live from Atlanta, Georgia, on Feb. 9, 2016, at 11:00 p.m. ET. The Powerball drawing takes place live from Tallahassee, Florida, Feb. 10, 2016, at 11:00 p.m. ET. Stay tuned, as we’ll have both drawings live along with the live results and winning numbers.

As larger Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are promise for the future, more people are enjoying playing lottery jackpot games than ever before. On Jan. 13, 2016, the Powerball jackpot reached historic heights. After months of no one winning the jackpot, it rolled from $40 million to $1.58 billion. The record-breaking jackpot caused more people in states to play Powerball than ever before in history. Since that time, more people have continued to play the popular jackpot games. Mega Millions is the second most popular jackpot game in the United States, with Powerball coming in at No. 1.

State lotteries aren’t holding back their excitement with the higher jackpots either. If you look on social media networks, you’ll find many state lotteries that are members of the Multi State Lottery Association (MUSL) tweeting or sharing photos about the upcoming Powerball and Mega Millions drawings.

Whether you are playing Mega Millions, Powerball, or a lottery game offered in your state, there are several things to take into consideration. First, you need to determine if you want to choose a Quick Pick or Easy Pick for your numbers. More people are winning jackpot and non-jackpot prizes by using Quick Picks and Easy Picks. These options used to be looked down upon, and many lottery players were under the impression that it was better to play your own numbers as opposed to letting a computer randomly draw numbers for you. The Tennessee couple who won the $1.58 billion jackpot used a Quick Pick ticket, and several other winners in the same jackpot drawing, who won smaller prizes, also used Quick Picks.

After you determine whether you will play a Quick Pick or Easy Pick for your Powerball or Mega Millions tickets, you’ll want to ensure you sign the back of your ticket. This is important for several reasons, and applies to all lottery tickets. Usually, you cannot claim a winning ticket, even if it has matching numbers on it, without showing proof of your identity. Signing the back of your ticket immediately helps ensure that no one else can take your ticket and then pass it off as their own. This happens quite frequently, and has been the source of personal and legal conflict. Sign the back of your ticket in ink, and you won’t need to worry about someone stealing your ticket then trying to say they purchased it and are entitled to the winning payout.

In addition to signing your tickets, you’ll also want to take steps to protect your Mega Millions and Powerball tickets. A California man is currently suing the California lottery for claims they refused to honor his winning lottery ticket because it had become damaged. All lottery players should put their tickets in a safe spot, where they won’t become lost or damaged.

Are you going to play Mega Millions tonight? Check back with us at 11:00 p.m. ET as we’ll have the live drawing, Mega Millions results and the winning numbers.

Good luck!

[Photo by Milena Ugrinova/Shutterstock]

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