Powerball, Mega Millions Are Back Thanks To Illinois Budget Deal

Just hours after the Illinois House voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's vetoes and approve a state budget — the first in two years — the Illinois Lottery announced that Powerball and Mega Millions sales are back on. Sales ended last week after the General Assembly failed to reach a budget deal by the June 30 deadline. On Thursday night, lotto officials announced the games' return to Illinois.

"The Illinois Lottery is pleased to announce that sales of Mega Millions and Powerball have resumed," Acting Director Greg Smith said in a statement. "We appreciate the loyalty of our players and retail partners as we continue our mission to fund K-12 education."

Powerball tickets are $2, and drawings are every Wednesday and Saturday at 10 p.m. CST. Powerball is played in Illinois, 43 other states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mega Millions tickets are $1 and drawings are every Tuesday and Friday evening at 10 p.m. CST. Illinois was one of the nine original states to sell Mega Millions, according to the lottery.

Last Powerball, Mega Millions Drawings Without State Budget