Madison, Wis. -- Responsible gaming is an integral part of the Wisconsin Lottery and with more than $1.3 billion combined in estimated jackpots available this week for the Mega Millions and Powerball lotto games, the Wisconsin Lottery wants to remind people to have fun but play responsibly.

"When there's this much interest in over a billion dollars in combined prizes on both of our big jackpot games, it's important to remember it only takes one ticket to win. If you choose to play, only play what you can afford and don't go overboard," said Wisconsin Lottery Director Cindy Polzin.

At $792 million, the Mega Millions jackpot is the sixth largest in the game's history. At $559 million, the Powerball jackpot is more than half a billion dollars for the second time this year.

The last time Powerball and Mega Millions simultaneously had jackpots above half a billion dollars was in July 2023, which resulted in back-to-back billion-dollar jackpots being won among the two games:

o July 19, 2023 - $1.08 billion jackpot – Powerball – CA
o Aug. 8, 2023 - $1.602 billion jackpot – Mega Millions – FL

The Wisconsin Lottery wants to remind players:

• Only buy Lottery tickets from a licensed Lottery retailer. If someone offers a “winning ticket” for cash on any platform, don’t do it. It is almost certainly a scam. Players can call the Lottery hotline at 1-608-266-7777 to verify what is and isn't a real Wisconsin Lottery communication.

• Sign the back of your ticket immediately after purchase. This is the most important thing to do to protect yourself from theft and to prove ticket ownership.

• Review your ticket before leaving the store to make sure you received what you wanted. Players are responsible for checking the accuracy of tickets. Contact the Wisconsin Lottery immediately if a ticket appears to be tampered with.

• Individuals struggling with a gambling problem can reach out for confidential help by calling the Problem Gambling Helpline at 800-GAMBLE-5 (800-426-2535) or TEXT 850-888-HOPE (850-888-4673). Information is also available at wi-problemgamblers.org.

The Wisconsin Lottery holds a Level 2 Certification for its responsible gaming work with the World Lottery Association and is a silver member of the National Council on Problem Gambling.