The Mega Millions jackpot is on the verge of hitting the $600 million mark, presently standing at an estimated $563 million. This uptick comes following a draw this past Friday that saw no participants produce a ticket with all six matching numbers, resulting in a $38 million climb in the coveted prize.
Lottery aficionados who are eyeing the tempting one-time cash option would receive a sumptuous $265.4 million should they strike it lucky.
The numbers that kept jackpot hopes alive on Friday’s drawing were 4, 6, 40, 41, and 60, with the Mega Ball being 11, according to lottery officials.
Hopefuls will have their next opportunity to win big in the coming Tuesday’s drawing. With anticipations running high, a win at this stage would mark the prize as “the eighth largest jackpot in Mega Miller’s nearly 22-year history,” a statement from the lottery noted. The record-breaking largest jackpot, which reached an astounding $1.602 billion, was captured just last year.
The jackpot’s progression toward the $600 million milestone happens merely three days after it was announced that the prize had surpassed the half-billion threshold for the first time in the year 2024. Over the past year, lottery watchers witnessed the jackpot cross this significant marker two separate times.
In 2023, the stakes in the Mega Millions were even higher, with two jackpots breaking through the billion-dollar ceiling. In January, the jackpot shot up to $1.348 billion, whereas another in August soared to the largest payout in Mega Millions history with a $1.602 billion prize.
With such extraordinary sums on the line, lottery players nationwide are eagerly anticipating the next draw, hoping to see if fortune will fall in their favor.
