Mega Millions Jackpot Soars to Record $1.55 Billion after Friday’s Drawing
The Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday night’s drawing has reached an astonishing estimated amount of $1.55 billion, making it the largest in the game’s history. This remarkable figure also marks the third-largest overall jackpot in U.S. lottery history. Friday’s drawing failed to produce any winning tickets, causing the jackpot to swell to this unprecedented amount.
The winning numbers from Friday’s drawing were 11, 30, 45, 52, and 56, with a Mega Ball of 20. It has been nearly six months since the last Mega Millions jackpot winner, with the previous one occurring on April 18. The anticipation is now building for Tuesday night’s drawing, as hopeful participants eagerly await the chance to claim this massive prize.
If a single winning ticket is sold for the upcoming drawing, the lucky winner will have two options. They can either choose an estimated lump sum payment of $757.2 million before taxes or opt for the annuity option, which entails an immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that ultimately add up to the full jackpot amount minus taxes.
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are incredibly slim, with approximately one in 302.58 million chances. However, since the last jackpot win, Mega Millions has awarded at least 62 tickets matching all five white balls, earning lucky individuals a minimum prize of $1 million.
Interestingly, this will be the fifth time that the Mega Millions jackpot exceeds $1 billion. If the estimated number for Tuesday’s jackpot holds, it will surpass the previous record of $1.537 billion set in October 2018, which was claimed by a single winning ticket in South Carolina. Earlier this year in January, Maine saw a winning ticket for a jackpot of $1.348 billion.
The Los Angeles area has recently experienced a surge in lottery luck. In February, the winning ticket for a staggering $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, the largest in U.S. lottery history, was sold at a gas station in Altadena, a city in Los Angeles County. Last month, another lucky ticket holder snagged the $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot in downtown Los Angeles, though their identity remains a mystery.
The second-largest jackpot ever recorded was a $1.586 billion Powerball prize in January 2016, which was divided among three ticket holders in California, Florida, and Tennessee.
Mega Millions tickets, priced at $2 each, are available for purchase in all states except Alabama, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada. They are also sold in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is worth noting that half of the proceeds from each ticket sold remain in the state where the sale occurred, supporting designated good causes and retailer commissions.
The Mega Millions drawings take place at 11 p.m. Eastern on Tuesdays and Fridays, offering participants a chance to change their lives forever with the possibility of winning this extraordinary jackpot.