​Mega Millions Soars To $1.35B; May Climb Higher Before Friday Drawing

ACROSS AMERICA —The Mega Millions jackpot will be at least $1.25 billion in Friday night’s drawing and could go even higher amid a rush to buy tickets for the fourth-largest prize in the lottery game’s history.

The jackpot soared after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Tuesday: 8, 24, 30, 45, 61 and the Mega Ball of 12.

Jackpot winners have two options — to collect winnings through an annuity, with annual payments spread across 30 years, or to take the cash option — an estimated $659.5 million in Friday’s drawing. Winners may be subject to federal taxes. Many states also tax lottery winnings.

Drawings are held at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Friday’s drawing will be the 31st since a $20 million jackpot prize was won in Syracuse, New York, on April 18, according to Mega Millions. Five other Mega Millions jackpots have been won this year, including a $1.348 billion price in January, the second-largest in the history of the game.

The odds of winning the jackpot are deplorable — about 1 in 302.6 million.
The odds of winning smaller prizes ranging from $2 to $1 million are significantly better.

Mega Millions said that although there were no jackpot winners Tuesday, five players in California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York and Wisconsin matched five numbers to win $1 million prizes. Another player in Texas was a Match 5 + Megaplier winner.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.