Mid-October US Jackpot Watch: Powerball and Mega Millions Rollovers, Keno Updates and Scam Alerts

Mid-October 2026 finds two national lottery jackpots still rolling. Powerball enters Monday, Oct. 12 at an advertised $538 million annuity, or $220.6 million cash, while Mega Millions turns to Tuesday, Oct. 13 at $385 million annuity, or $154.8 million cash, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery. Below those national totals, state keno updates and an official New York scam advisory are worth checking before tickets are bought.

Powerball rolls past $500 million after Saturday's draw

Saturday’s Powerball drawing on Oct. 10 carried an estimated $516 million jackpot. The Powerball home page lists no jackpot winners for that drawing, so the next drawing on Monday, Oct. 12 is estimated at $538 million as an annuity or $220.6 million cash. One California ticket matched five numbers for a $1 million prize. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at approximately 10:59 p.m. ET. Powerball costs $2 per play, and Power Play and Double Play are optional $1 add-ons. The Match 5 + Power Play prize is always $2 million, and the 10x multiplier is available only when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less.

Powerball is sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and ticket sales expanded to the United Kingdom on July 21, 2026. In North Carolina, Saturday’s Powerball drawing produced two $50,000 wins from Online Play in Morrisville and Kannapolis, and the current Powerball and Mega Millions runs have raised over $13.7 million for education in that state. Powerball’s NFL-linked add-on, Powerball Xs & Os, holds drawings at 10 p.m. ET every Sunday in 24 states; tickets cost $5 and players pick eight NFL team logos. For a closer look at one of the league’s running backs, see Aaron Jones player profile.

Mega Millions climbs to $385 million for Tuesday

Mega Millions had an estimated $345 million jackpot for its Tuesday, Oct. 6 drawing. The last Mega Millions jackpot was won on July 28, when a single Florida winner took an $803 million prize. For the next drawing on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the North Carolina Education Lottery lists the annuity estimate at $385 million and the cash value at $154.8 million. Mega Millions tickets cost $5, and the built-in multiplier increases non-jackpot prizes by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x, chosen randomly. In New York, in-store and online sales stop at 10 p.m. on draw nights; in New Jersey and Connecticut the cutoff is 10:45 p.m. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 290 million.

State keno updates: promotions, events and a retirement

Ohio retired its KENO Certified Expert program effective Feb. 5, 2026, directing players to OhioLottery.com and the official Ohio Lottery Facebook page for future keno updates. Michigan’s Club Keno Tripler Time, which began Feb. 1, gives eligible Club Keno, Plus 3 and Kicker prizes a double or triple boost up to $4 million when a Doubler or Tripler message appears; Jack prizes are excluded, and multi-draw tickets with a message qualify for all drawings on that ticket. Club Keno drawings take place every three and a half minutes at 10,500 Michigan retailers.

North Carolina’s Keno Bonus Hours offer 50% more prize money on any win between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Fridays in March at participating locations when a multiplier is added; adding a multiplier doubles the base ticket cost, and multi-draw tickets bought during those hours but drawn later qualify. Massachusetts held Keno Pop Drop events on Oct. 8 at locations in West Bridgewater, West Springfield, Oxford and Saugus, where spending $20 on Keno could earn lottery merchandise. If you want a free dice game to pass the time between keno draws, try Farkle rules and scoring guide.

Unclaimed prize clocks: a Texas reminder

Texas state law gives winners 180 days from the drawing date to claim a prize, with possible extension for certain eligible military personnel. A $78 million Lotto Texas jackpot from the Nov. 15, 2025 drawing had a claim deadline of 5 p.m. CT on May 14, 2026; the ticket was sold at Gordon’s Bait & Tackle in Brownsville. The prize had to be claimed in person at Texas Lottery headquarters in Austin, and the cash value before taxes was listed at $43.7 million. The Texas case is a reminder to check your state's claim period as soon as you have a winning ticket.

Official warning: a Mega Millions imposter scam

The New York State Gaming Commission issued a July 21, 2026 consumer alert about an imposter scam targeting residents in multiple states. Callers claim to be a high-ranking Mega Millions official based in New York, tell victims they won $18.6 million and two Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and demand taxes be paid before the prizes can be delivered. The alert reminds players that real lotteries do not reach out to winners, that an unsolicited notification of a big lottery prize is a scam, that you cannot win a prize without purchasing a ticket, and that the New York Lottery does not know who has won until the winning ticket is presented for payment. For broader cybersecurity news and safety guides, see Security Briefing.

Practical checks before each draw

Buy tickets only from a licensed lottery sales agent or an official state platform, and sign the back of any ticket as soon as it is in your hands. Check numbers against official results, keep track of your state’s claim period, and never pay an upfront tax, fee or delivery charge to collect a prize; if someone asks for one, contact your state lottery directly.