The Mega Millions jackpot grew to a whopping $1.05 billion after no ticket matched all six numbers in Friday night’s draw. The last winning ticket was sold on April 18. The next drawing for the grand prize, which is currently equal to the fourth-largest Mega Millions jackpot to date, is on Tuesday. A lump-sum payment would be an estimated $528 million. The Associated Press has the story:
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $1.05B without big winner yet
Newslooks- (AP)
The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.05 billion Friday night, only the fifth time in the history of the game that the grand prize has reached into the billions.
No one managed to beat the massive odds and match all six numbers for Friday’s estimated $940 million jackpot. The numbers drawn were: 5, 10, 28, 52, 63 and the gold ball 18.
There have been 29 straight draws without a Mega Millions jackpot winner since the last grand prize ticket on April 18.
The $1.05 billion prize up for grabs in the next drawing Tuesday night would be for a sole winner choosing to be paid through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. Jackpot winners almost always opt for a lump sum payment, which for Tuesday’s drawing would be an estimated $527.9 million.
The potential jackpot is the fourth-largest in the game and the fifth over $1 billion, Mega Millions said in a statement early Saturday.
Although there were no jackpot winners, one ticket in Pennsylvania was worth $5 million and another in the state connected for $1 million. There also were $1 million winners in Arizona, California and New York, Mega Millions said.
It has been less than two weeks since someone in Los Angeles won a $1.08 billion Powerball prize that ranked as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. The winner of the prize is still a mystery.
Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million.
Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
