Those who feel lucky on Tuesday evenings can win an estimated jackpot of $ 625 million in the Mega Millions lottery, the eighth largest jackpot in US history. The premium has reached such heights because there has been no winner for months.
If there is no winner again, the jackpot only gets higher for the next draw on Friday evening.
Each ticket costs $ 2 and winners must match all numbers, including the Mega Ball, to take home the full amount.
The one-time cash option for Tuesday’s jackpot was at least $ 458 million. Accepting the fixed payment of the jackpot in cash is a preferred option for most winners. Otherwise, the jackpot will be divided over 30 years.
Mega Millions Winning Numbers
- 12, 14, 26, 28, 33
- Mega Ball: 9
- Megaplier: 2x
Mega Millions tickets are sold in 44 states, Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands.
Meanwhile, the Powerball lottery jackpot has grown to an estimated $ 550 million, the 12th largest jackpot in history. Winning numbers will be drawn on Wednesday night.
Even with both jackpots combined, they still pale in comparison to the biggest prize, one $ 1.58 Billion Powerball Jackpot won by three players in 2016. The Mega Millions jackpot was last won in Wisconsin on September 15, 2020, when a single winner won a ticket worth $ 120 million. The game was won five times last year, with a jackpot of $ 414 million in June as the biggest prize, officials said.
The chances of winning a jackpot are slim: 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions and 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball.
Here are the 10 biggest Mega Millions jackpots ever, along with where the tickets were bought:
- $ 1.54 billion – one winning ticket in South Carolina (October 2018)
- $ 656 million – three winning tickets in Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland (March 2012)
- $ 648 million – two winning tickets in California and Georgia (December 2013)
- $ 615 million – unknown if there are winners (January 2021)
- $ 543 million – one winning ticket in California (July 2018)
- $ 536 million – one winning ticket in Indiana (July 2016)
- $ 533 million – one winning ticket in New Jersey (March 2018)
- $ 522 million – one winning ticket in California (June 2019)
- $ 451 million – one winning ticket in Florida (January 2018)
- $ 437 million – one winning ticket in New York (January 2019)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.