The Mega Millions jackpot continues to increase as there were no winners during the last drawing on Friday. The estimated jackpot has now reached $800 million, with a cash option of $401.8 million available for the drawing scheduled on Tuesday. This figure marks the seventh-largest jackpot in the game’s history, with the previous six exceeding $1 billion.
The last jackpot was won on June 4 in Illinois, where a ticket worth $552 million was purchased. Since that time, there have been 27 drawings without any jackpot winners.
So far this year, only two Mega Millions jackpots have been claimed. The first was a $1.1 billion ticket that was sold in New Jersey in March, which remains unclaimed. Winners in New Jersey have one year to claim their prizes.
Mega Millions tickets are available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings take place at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. Each ticket costs $2, and half of the proceeds from each ticket sold stay in the state where it was purchased.
The chances of winning the jackpot are approximately one in over 302 million, while the overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24.
The highest Mega Millions jackpot on record, amounting to $1.6 billion, was sold in Florida in August of the previous year. Since 2018, Mega Millions has produced six jackpots exceeding $1 billion, with winners from states including South Carolina, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, Florida, and most recently, New Jersey.
According to College of the Holy Cross economics professor Victor Matheson, the frequency of large prizes is intentional. The Multi-State Lottery Association, which administers the Mega Millions game, has designed it to yield bigger prizes. The transition to a nationwide game has also increased participation, while changes such as doubling the ticket price and expanding number options have made winning increasingly difficult.