The Mega Millions lottery jackpot has risen to an impressive $740 million after a winning ticket was missing in the draw held on Tuesday night.
The numbers drawn yesterday were 12, 41, 43, 52 and 55 corresponding to the white balls and the golden Mega Ball 9.
If someone wins the jackpot in the next draw on Friday, it would be the seventh-largest jackpot in the history of the game of chance.
The last time a player managed to win such a prize was on June 4 in Illinois, and it consisted of the sum of $552 million.
To date, there have been 26 jackpot drawings and 19 million winning tickets in all prize categories, excluding the jackpot. For example, 51 second-tier prizes worth $1 million or more have been won through lucky tickets purchased in places as diverse as Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.
The odds of matching all six numbers and thus winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.575.350.
It is one of the most popular and followed lotteries in the United States and is available in 45 states, as well as in the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands, with the exception of Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. Tickets can be purchased at gas stations and markets and cost $2.
Below are the top Mega Millions jackpots:
- $1.602 million, drawing of August 8, 2023 (one ticket sold in Florida)
- $1.537 million, October 23, 2018 drawing (one ticket sold in South Carolina)
- $1.348 million, drawing of January 13, 2023 (one ticket sold in Maine)
- $1.337 million, July 29, 2022 drawing (one ticket sold in Illinois)
- $1.128 billion, March 26, 2024 drawing (one ticket sold in New Jersey)
- $1.050 billion, drawing of January 22, 2021 (one ticket sold in Michigan)
- $740 million (next draw)
- $656 million, March 30, 2012 drawing (three tickets sold in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland)
- $648 million, December 17, 2013 drawing (two tickets sold in California, Georgia)
- $552 million, June 4, 2024 drawing (one ticket sold in Illinois)
Below is a list of the top 10 largest U.S. lottery jackpots and the states where the winning tickets were purchased:
- $2.040 billion, Powerball, November 7, 2022 drawing (one ticket purchased in California)
- $1.765 billion, Powerball, October 11, 2023 drawing (one ticket purchased in California)
- $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, drawing of August 8, 2023 (one ticket purchased in Florida)
- $1.586 billion, Powerball, January 13, 2016 drawing (three tickets purchased in California, Florida, and Tennessee)
- $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, October 23, 2018 drawing (one ticket purchased in South Carolina)
- $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, drawing of January 13, 2018 (one ticket purchased in South Carolina) 2023 (one ticket purchased in Maine)
- $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, drawing dated July 29, 2022 (one ticket purchased in Illinois)
- $1.128 billion, March 26, 2024 drawing (one ticket purchased in New Jersey)
- $1.08 billion, Powerball, drawing dated July 19, 2023 (one ticket purchased in California)
- $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, drawing dated January 22, 2021 (one ticket purchased in Michigan)
