A giant Mega Millions lottery jackpot ballooned to $1.02 billion after no one matched all six numbers Tuesday night and won the top prize. The new estimated jackpot will be the nation’s fourth-largest lottery prize.
The jackpot has grown so large because no one has matched the game’s six selected numbers since April 15. That’s 29 consecutive drawings without a big winner. Tuesday’s numbers were: 07-29-60-63-66, Mega Ball: 15.
Who can claim the Jackpot?
The $1.02 billion prize is for winners who choose the annuity option. By this, it means, the amount will be paid annually over 30 years. Most winners opt for the cash option, which for the next drawing Friday night is an estimated $602.5 million.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million. Mega Millions is played in 45 states. It also includes states like Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The state lotteries coordinate the game.
About Mega Millions
Mega Millions became the first jackpot game to offer second-tier prizes of up to $5 million when it relaunched with a new matrix on October 19, 2013. In just over four years with a 5-of-75 plus 1-of-15 matrix, there were 571 Match 5 winners, including 65 that were worth more than the $1 million base prize by including the optional Megaplier. Twenty-eight of those were $5 million winning tickets.