Mega Millions jackpot now $1.25 billion after no one hits top prize
(NEXSTAR) -- The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.25 billion after no one beat the odds Tuesday night and won the massive lottery prize.
The winning numbers drawn were: 8, 24, 30, 45, 61, and the yellow ball: 12.
There were $1 million prize winners in California (two), Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York and Wisconsin. A Texas winner won $5 million after adding the Megaplier for $1 more, according to the Mega Millions website.
The jackpot has been brewing since April 18 when a $20 million prize was won by a ticket sold in Syracuse, New York, just four days after a $483 million Mega Millions jackpot was hit by a ticket sold in Queens.
The $1.25 billion prize is now one of the largest in U.S. history. Tuesday night’s drawing for $1.1 billion was the 30th straight without a winner.
- $2.04 billion (Powerball): Nov. 7, 2022; California
- $1.586 billion (Powerball): Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida, Tennessee
- $1.537 billion (Mega Millions): Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
- $1.348 billion (Mega Millions): Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
- $1.337 billion (Mega Millions): July 29, 2022; Illinois
- Est. $1.25 billion (Mega Millions): Aug. 4, 2023
- $1.08 billion (Powerball): July 19, 2023; California
- $1.050 billion (Mega Millions): Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
- $768.4 million (Powerball): March 27, 2019; Wisconsin
- $758.7 million (Powerball): Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts
The lottery drought is due to a combination of poor luck and terrible odds, as the chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning smaller prizes, ranging from $2 to $1 million, are significantly better.
The new $1.25 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who chooses to collect through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. A sole winner who opts for a lump sum payment would receive an estimated $625.3 million.
You may want to think twice before collecting the cash option though. Winners of giant jackpots nearly always take the cash, and financial advisers say that might be a mistake.
The next Mega Millions drawing will be at 11 p.m. ET on Friday. Tickets start at $2 each and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.