Mega Millions Jackpot Soars Past $1 Billion

MASSACHUSETTS — The Mega Millions jackpot passed a billion dollars Wednesday. No one matched all five numbers in Tuesday night's drawing so Massachusetts players now have three days to shoot their shot.

As it stands now, the Mega Millions full prize is $1.02 billion with a cash option of $602.5 million. With the next drawing not until Friday night - those numbers might look a lot higher.

The next drawing will be at 11 p.m. Friday night. Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each and can be purchased up until 10:45 p.m. at Mass Lottery retailers throughout the state in gas stations, convenience stores, and supermarkets.

Several players did win lower-value prizes in Wednesday's drawing by matching some of the winning numbers — 7-29-60-63-66. The Mega Ball number was 15 and the Megaplier number was 3x. They included a $2.9 million ticket sold in California, where the player chose the correct Megaplier number. Another ticket sold in Ohio is worth $3 million because it included the Megaplier.

Of the other eight tickets worth $1 million, two each were sold in New Jersey and New York, plus one each in California, Florida, Illinois and Ohio.

The last time someone claimed the jackpot was back in April when it was worth $20 million. Massachusetts has yet to win a Mega Millions jackpot this year, but California, New York, Minnesota and Tennessee have had their share.

The jackpot has been growing since April, the last time it was claimed. It was $20 million then. So far this year, Mega Millions jackpots have been won in California, New York, Minnesota and Tennessee.

The actual chances of winning are slim - about 1 in 302.5 million. The odds of winning one of the smaller prizes, including the $1 million to players who match five regular numbers but miss the Mega Ball, are better, but still only 1 in 12.6 million. For perspective, the odds of being struck by lightning are less than 1 in 1 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mavis Wanczyk holds the current record for highest winning lottery prize in Massachusetts. Back in 2017, she was the only winner of a $758 million Powerball jackpot, with the winning ticket sold in Chicopee. The biggest Mega Millions jackpot ($294 million) won in Massachusetts was claimed by Geraldine Williams of Lowell back in 2004.