has continued to climb this week and hit a staggering $1.28 billion ahead of Friday night’s drawing — with a $747.2 million cash option.Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot is the second-highest prize in the game’s history, as currently estimated.
It also stands as the nation’s third-largest lottery prize ever. A $1.586 billion Powerball game in 2016 was split between the buyers of three winning tickets, and a $1.54 billion Mega Millions prize in 2018 went to the buyer of a single ticket.Mega Millions lottery drawing: Winners can remain anonymous in these statesThe lottery grand prize on Thursday reached an estimated $1.1 billion with a $648.2 million cash option after hitting $1.02 billion on Wednesday.
The latest jackpot estimation has grown so large because no one has matched the game’s six selected numbers since April 15. That’s 29 consecutive drawings without a big winner.Mega Millions drawings are held on Tuesday and Friday.
They happen at 11 p.m. ET.A person buys a Mega Millions lottery ticket at a store on July 29, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images) Five white balls are drawn from a set of balls numbered 1 through 70, and one gold Mega Ball is drawn from a set of balls numbered 1 through 25.