This weekend, for only the third time ever, Powerball and Mega Millions both have advertised jackpots above $500 million at the same time.

Tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot, a $560 million annuity worth $281.1 million in cash, ranks as the seventh largest in the game’s history.

Saturday’s Powerball jackpot, an $875 million annuity worth $441.9 million in cash, ranks as the third largest in the game’s history, only behind the world record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot won last year and the $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot won in 2016. The current jackpot also ranks as the seventh largest in U.S. history.

“It really is rare to see both games offering jackpots of this size at the same time,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “We all have our fingers crossed that we will see a North Carolina winner this weekend.”

While players continue to try for the jackpot, both drawings keep producing big wins in North Carolina. In Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing, three tickets matched four white balls and the yellow Mega Ball to win $10,000. The wins occurred:

• In Raleigh with a ticket bought at the Han-Dee Hugo on Capital Boulevard.
• In Raleigh with a ticket bought at Team Beverage on Louisburg Road.
• In Beaufort with a ticket bought at Zingo Express on N.C. 101.

In Wednesday’s Powerball drawing, one ticket matched four white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000. The win occurred in Maysville at the Handy Mart on N.C. 58.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302 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 $2.5 million a day on average 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.