Friday night's Mega Millions drawing is set to have a jackpot of $1.35 billion, with a cash option of $659.5 million. If someone wins, it will be the second-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history. The jackpot has been steadily increasing since late April, when a $20 million prize was won in Syracuse, New York. This year has seen several notable Mega Millions jackpots, including a $1.348 billion amount in January, which was the second-largest prize in Mega Millions history.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever was $1.537 billion, won by a single ticket in South Carolina in October 2018. The current $1.35 billion jackpot is the second-largest, followed by a $1.348 billion jackpot won in Maine in January 2023. Other large jackpots include $1.337 billion won in Illinois in July 2022 and $1.25 billion in the current 2023 lottery.
The next Mega Millions drawing will take place on Friday night at 11 p.m. ET. The winning numbers from the most recent drawing on Tuesday, Aug. 1, were 8, 24, 30, 45, and 61, with a Mega Ball of 12 and a Megaplier of 4X. While there were no overall jackpot winners in that drawing, there were Match 5 $1 million winners in California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, and Wisconsin, as well as a Match 5 + Megaplier winner in Texas.
Tickets for Mega Millions cost $2 per play, and there are nine total ways to win a prize, ranging from the jackpot to $2. Players must pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. The Megaplier feature, available in most states for an additional $1 per play, increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, or five times.
In conclusion, the upcoming Mega Millions drawing offers a chance to win a historic $1.35 billion jackpot, the second-largest in the lottery's history. Players have the opportunity to win prizes ranging from the jackpot to $2 by selecting numbers and utilizing the Megaplier feature.