Mega Millions jackpot grows to $1.28 billion — its second largest prize ever
The Mega Millions jackpot is estimated to top out at $1.28 billion by Friday night's drawing. The $747.2 million cash value — before taxes —would be the second largest prize in the game's history, according to Mega Millions.
The game's largest jackpot ever was $1.537 billion in 2018, with the winning ticket sold in South Carolina. The next biggest Mega Millions prize was $1.05 billion in 2021, with one winning ticket sold in Michigan.
The current jackpot is also the third largest prize in U.S. lottery history, behind a Powerball drawing in 2016 that reached $1.586 billion, with winners in California, Florida and Tennessee.
The last Mega Millions drawing was Tuesday, and the winning numbers were 7-29-60-63-66 with a Mega Ball of 15. While no one won the grand prize, nine tickets won at least $1 million, Mega Millions said.
The last time someone won the Mega Millions jackpot was on April 15. And over the past few weeks, as the prize grew larger and larger, people across the U.S. rushed to buy tickets, hoping to claim the prize.
Friday's drawing will take place at 11 p.m. ET.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 303 million, while the odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24, according to Mega Millions.
