DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — With the widest reach of any lotteries in the U.S., Powerball and Mega Millions are designed to produce eyepopping jackpots that generate huge sales. It’s safe to say it’s working, as their combined jackpots reached an estimated $1.39 billion on Thursday. The next Mega Millions drawing is Friday night, when an estimated $750 million prize will be up for grabs.

FILE – In this Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, file photo, a customer shows off a Mega Millions lottery ticket after purchasing it, in Orlando, Fla. The nation’s two national lottery games are designed to produce immense jackpots that generate huge sales, and the recipe certainly is working now as prizes on Thursday reached a combined $1.39 billion. The next drawing for Mega Millions is Friday night, when a $750 million prize will be up for grabs. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

The drawing for an estimated $640 million Powerball jackpot will be Saturday night. If you’re wondering whether to risk $2 on a ticket, do so only if you expect to lose. The odds are 1 in 292.2 million to win Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million to win Mega Millions.