The already-giant Mega Millions prize is now at $868 million after a drawing Tuesday night turned up no winners.
Lottery officials raised the estimated jackpot, which had been $667 million.
The next drawing will be Friday. If someone wins the jackpot, it would mark the largest for the game and second-largest lottery grand prize in U.S. history.
The record lottery jackpot was a $1.6 billion Powerball prize won in January 2016.
The previous all-time record for Mega Millions was $656 million for a drawing on March 30, 2012.
The $868 million jackpot refers to the annuity option, paid out over 29 years. The cash option, which is favored by nearly all winners, is $494 million.
Mega Millions’ jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of California office co-workers won $543 million.
Three other Mega Millions jackpots have been won this year – $451 million on January 5 (Florida), $533 million on March 30 (New Jersey), and $142 million on May 4 (Ohio).
It costs $2 to play the game and the odds of matching all six numbers and winning the jackpot is one in 302.5 million.
Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET. The game is played in 44 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Top 10 jackpots in history:
1. $1.6 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, Tennessee)
2. $758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017 (one ticket, from Massachusetts)
3. $656 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (three tickets, from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)
4. $648 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 17, 2013 (two tickets, from California and Georgia)
5. $590.5 million, Powerball, May 18, 2013 (one ticket, from Florida)
6. $587.5 million, Powerball, Nov. 28, 2012 (two tickets, from Arizona and Missouri)
7. $564.1 million, Powerball, Feb. 11, 2015 (three tickets, from North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Texas)
8. $559.7 million, Powerball, Jan. 6, 2018 (one ticket, New Hampshire)
9. $543 million, Mega Millions, July 24, 2018 (one ticket, California)
10. $536 million, Mega Millions, July 8, 2016 (one ticket, from Indiana)
(AP)
One Response
Please I wanna win it !!