The combined jackpots in two US lottery games have now surpassed a billion dollars, including the second largest in the country's history.

The Mega Millions top prize soared from $900m (£690) on Wednesday to $970m (£743m) on Thursday while the Powerball has hit $345m (£263m) ahead of the forthcoming draws.

Officials raised the estimated jackpots after no big winners for months with Mega Millions raising their big prize money for a second time on Thursday following strong sales.

The Mega Millions numbers were 3, 45, 49, 61, 69 and Mega Ball 9 on Tuesday. The next draw will be on Friday.

The Powerball numbers drawn on Saturday were 11, 14, 32, 43, 65 and the Powerball was 15. The Power Play was 3. The next draw will be on Wednesday evening.


Image: The jackpots have been soaring in the US

The largest jackpot in US history was the Powerball jackpot in 2016 which hit $1.586bn and was shared among three winners.

Jackpots have ballooned because nobody has won them for some time.

In July, 11 office workers pocketed the Mega Millions $543m jackpot, and the Powerball jackpot which totalled $245.6m was won in August by a man in Staten Island, New York.

And the odds of winning Friday's Mega Millions draw? Players have a one in 302.5 million chance of scooping the cash, according to experts.

New Yorkers were lining up to up to buy tickets and had plans for spending only a small fraction of the fortune.

Some dreamed of visiting Hawaii, funding their retirement or buying a holiday home.

Among the crowds dreaming of what to do with potential winnings was Erica Young, who works in the Manhattan hotel industry

Ms Young decided to buy a ticket a before the draw and said she had played the lottery before, but "only when it's huge".

Asked what she would do with the cash if she struck lucky, she said: "I'd take the females in my family down 47th Street and go buy jewellery.

"I'd take about $50 million, and I'd give that to friends, family and charities. The rest I'd put in the bank and live off the interest. You know, the usual stuff."

Mega Millions started in 1996 with six states taking part - Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan and Virginia.