The fourth-largest Mega Millions jackpot in history, at $1.25 billion, was up for grabs during Friday night's August 4 drawing.
The lucky winning numbers were 11, 30, 45, 52 and 56, and the gold Mega Ball was 20.
Nobody won the jackpot in Friday night's draw, with an estimate prize of $1.55 billion now predicted for Tuesday.
However nine players matched five balls but not the Mega Ball, meaning they scooped a $1 million payout, with two of those taking home $2 million after using the Megaplier.
A winner would have had the choice between an annuitized prize worth $1.25 billion or a lump sum payment worth $625.3 million, both before taxes.
To win the jackpot, a player's ticket numbers must match all six numbers drawn—the first five numbers and the gold Mega Ball. There are other prizes if a player's numbers only match some of the numbers drawn, ranging from $2 to $1 million. The odds of winning the jackpot are slim, at a 1-in-302,575,350 chance. Odds improve for the lesser prizes.
To play, the player picks five distinct numbers between 1 and 70. The sixth number is the "Mega Ball" number, from 1 to 25, which can be the same as one of the first five numbers since it is drawn from a different pool. Players can choose a "quick pick," in which the lottery machine randomly selects a set of numbers, or they can choose the numbers themselves.
The jackpot became the fourth-largest in Mega Millions history when Tuesday's drawing for $1.05 billion didn't produce a winner.
The jackpot has been rolling since it was last won on April 18, when a winning ticket was sold in New York.
Although it has taken months for a player to win the jackpot, a press release on the Mega Millions site said the lottery has still produced a high number of winners for lesser prizes.
"Overall, the total number of winning tickets at all prize levels continues to increase along with the jackpot, and the August 1 drawing produced a total of 4,904,910 winning tickets across all prize tiers," the press release said.
The highest Mega Millions jackpot ever won was valued at over $1.5 billion in 2018. The winning ticket was sold in South Carolina. According to the Mega Millions press release, it is the only lottery game that has produced four jackpots exceeding $1 billion. Once a winner is named for the current run, five jackpots in Mega Millions history will have exceeded $1 billion.
Tickets, which are $2, can be purchased in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Players have the option to add a Megaplier to their ticket for an additional $1, which multiplies non-jackpot prizes. Drawings are conducted at 11 p.m. EST time on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Update 08/05/2023 3:24 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include figures on winners.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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