There was no jackpot winner in the Mega Millions drawing held on Tuesday. The grand prize has now increased to an estimated $740 million, with a cash option of $366.3 million available for the upcoming drawing on Friday night.
This jackpot marks the seventh largest in Mega Millions history and the 16th largest in the history of U.S. lotteries. The last jackpot was won on June 4, when a player in Illinois secured a prize of $552 million.
In addition, two tickets sold in Kansas and Michigan matched the five white balls, each winning $1 million. A total of 32 tickets matched four white balls and the Mega ball, with 21 winning $10,000 and 11 others, which had the Megaplier, taking home $40,000.
The winning numbers for Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, were 12, 41, 43, 52, 55, and the Mega ball was 9, with a Megaplier of 4x.
Mega Millions drawings occur every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. To participate, players must purchase a ticket for $2, though they can opt for the Megaplier for an additional $1 to potentially increase their winnings.
Players select five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 25 for the Mega ball. Alternatively, they can use a Quick Pick option for randomly generated numbers. Individuals do not need to be U.S. citizens or residents of the state where they purchase their ticket.
To win a prize, players can start by matching just the Mega ball to win $2, while matching all five white balls (except in California) can yield up to $1 million.
Mega Millions is available in 45 states, along with the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The only states where Mega Millions is not offered include Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
Lottery tickets can be bought at gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and in some airport terminals. They can also be ordered online through the Jackpocket app, which allows users to select their lottery game and numbers, place orders, view their tickets, and claim prizes digitally.
Deadlines for purchasing Mega Millions tickets differ by state, so it’s advised to buy tickets well in advance of the drawing, often between 15 minutes to several hours beforehand.
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot stand at 302,575,350 to 1, while the odds of matching all five white balls are approximately 12,607,306 to 1.
Winners have the option to choose between an annuity payout, paid over time, and a cash option, which is a lump sum substantially lower than the advertised jackpot amount. In some states, winners can remain anonymous, while in others, their names and hometowns may be publicly disclosed.