Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing will top half a billion dollars, only the tenth time that has happened in the game’s history.
No one matched all six numbers for Friday’s Jackpot, worth $480 million, so the Jackpot has been increased to $530 million, which if won, will be the eighth largest jackpot in Mega Millions history. If the winner takes their prize as a lump sum, they will receive $304.7 million, still a hefty score.
While no one matched every ball on Friday, a ticket was sold in California that matched five numbers, winning $973,668. The jackpot has not been won since April 15 when the winner won the minimum jackpot of $20 million. It was only the second time in Mega Millions history that two consecutive jackpots were won in a row.
While the $530 million prize is nothing to sneeze at, it has been far exceeded in the past. Three jackpots have been hit that topped $1 billion. The largest ever Mega Millions jackpot was worth $1.586 billion in 2016, though it was won by multiple players who had to split the prize. The largest single winner was in 2018 for $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina. The final and most recent jackpot that topped $1 billion was in 2021 when a Michigan player hit the $1.05 billion jackpot.
While it is difficult to feel bad for someone who just won more than $900,000, the player in California may have lost out on a hefty sum compared to if he played in another state. Mega Millions allows players to spend $1 to purchase what is called the “Megaplier” which will increase their prize winnings, excluding the jackpot, by a factor of two, three, four, or five. The Megaplier was 5X for Friday’s drawing, meaning if the California player had purchased the Megaplier, their prize would have increased to $4.868 million. Unfortunately for the player, California is the only jurisdiction that does not offer the Megaplier.
Mega Million Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 pm Eastern Time. It can be played in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands.