US: Mega Millions jackpot of $1.35 billion (Dh4.95 billion) is up for grabs
The largest jackpot in the U.S. to date was a $2.04 billion Powerball
Iowa — The Mega Millions prize has grown again to an estimated $1.35 billion after there was no winner of the lottery’s latest giant jackpot. The numbers drawn late Tuesday night were: 7, 13, 14, 15, 18 and gold Mega Ball 9.
The new jackpot drawing on Friday night will be another milestone in the game, Mega Millions said in a statement early Wednesday.
“Now at $1.35 billion, the Mega Millions jackpot is moving up and making history as the second highest Mega Millions jackpot ever," Pat McDonald, Ohio lottery director and lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in the statement.
The only Mega Millions jackpot larger than Friday’s prize is the $1.53 billion won in South Carolina in 2018, Mega Millions said. The largest jackpot in the U.S. to date was a $2.04 billion Powerball won by a single ticket in California in November.
The estimated $1.35 billion jackpot in the next drawing would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Friday night’s drawing is an estimated $707.9 million.
There have been 25 drawings over three months since the last time a player matched all six numbers and claimed the jackpot.
Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grows. Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.