The Mega Millions jackpot has reached a colossal $1.1 billion, marking the prize as one of the largest in the game's history. With no winning tickets selected during last Friday's draw, lottery players across the country are bracing for the next drawing scheduled for this Tuesday, with hopes high and dreams of massive wealth. The winning numbers from Friday were 3, 8, 31, 35, 44, and the Mega Ball was 16, as reported by WABC.
In Michigan, hopefuls can purchase their chance at becoming billionaires up until 10:45 p.m. on the night of the draw. In the case of a jackpot win, the lucky ticket holder has the options of an annuity or a cash payment, the latter of which sits at an estimated $525.8 million, according to Detroit Free Press. On the other hand, the annuity is dished out in 29 annual payments, each 5% bigger than the last to account for inflation.
While the odds of clenching the jackpot are slim, at 1 in 302,575,350, the potential payoff is a staggering temptation for many. The Mega Millions website states there were over 2,500,000 winning tickets across all prize tiers in last Friday's drawing. Some players from states like California, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, Texas, and one in Virginia who added the Megaplier option, became Match 5 winners, turning a single ticket in Virginia into a $3 million prize, as stated by WABC.
To check if they've turned rags to riches, players can find the winning Mega Millions numbers on both the Mega Millions and Michigan Lottery websites after the draw. Furthermore, the draw will be streamed on the Mega Millions YouTube page. The last time the jackpot was taken home was on December 8, and since then, the top prize has been progressively increasing, says Voice of America. The accumulated fortune up for grabs Tuesday night would represent the eighth-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history if a lucky player wins it.
The Powerball's jackpot has also ascended to a titanic $750 million, with the next drawing set for Saturday night.
