The Mega Millions jackpot continues to soar, surpassing the billion-dollar mark after Tuesday night’s drawing yielded no winning ticket. The winning numbers for the draw were 8, 24, 30, 45, 61, and the Mega Ball was 12.
According to a news release from the lottery, the estimated jackpot for the next drawing on Friday night is $1.25 billion, making it the fourth-largest prize in Mega Millions history. This comes after 31 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner since April 18th.
Although no one claimed the grand prize on Tuesday, some lucky players still won significant amounts. One ticket sold in Texas won $4 million by matching the first five numbers and using the Megaplier option. Six other tickets matched the first five numbers and won $1 million each. Two of these were sold in California, while the others were sold in Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
Mega Millions reported that the total number of winning tickets across all prize levels continues to increase alongside the jackpot. The August 1st drawing alone produced a total of 4,904,910 winning tickets.
The current highest Mega Millions jackpot on record is $1.537 billion, won by a ticket sold in South Carolina in 2018. This is followed by a $1.348 billion ticket sold in Maine in January and a $1.337 billion prize from last July. The fourth-largest prize in Mega Millions history is a $1.05 billion jackpot won by a ticket sold in Michigan earlier this year.
In related news, a Powerball ticket sold in Los Angeles recently matched all the numbers to win a $1.08 billion prize, making it the third-largest Powerball jackpot.
With the Mega Millions jackpot reaching unprecedented heights, excitement and anticipation continue to build as players eagerly await Friday night’s drawing. Will someone finally claim the massive $1.25 billion prize, or will the jackpot continue to grow?