Nobody hit the Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday night, and that miss just sent the prize into the stratosphere. The pot is now an estimated $743 million for Friday's drawing, with a one-time cash option of about $323.4 million after the white balls 25, 37, 59, 68 and 70 and the Mega Ball 10 failed to produce a grand-prize winner. Two players who matched all five white balls still walked away with multimillion second-tier payouts, and the next drawing is set for 11 p.m. Eastern on Friday.
Numbers and prize details
According to the Maryland Lottery, Friday's annuitized jackpot stands at $743 million with a cash option of $323.4 million. Its detailed results list Tuesday's winning numbers as 25-37-59-68-70 with Mega Ball 10 and show the next drawing date as July 24.
Small winners and multipliers
Cox Media Group's coverage, as published by WSB-TV, notes that two tickets matched all five white balls: one sold in California that paid $2 million with a 2X multiplier and another sold in Arizona that paid $3 million with a 3X multiplier. Those Megaplier boosts apply only to non-jackpot prizes, so they do not increase the main jackpot but can seriously fatten second-tier wins.
How much a play costs and the odds
A Mega Millions ticket costs $5 and non-jackpot prizes can be multiplied by a randomly assigned Megaplier, according to Mega Millions. The published odds of hitting the jackpot are roughly 1 in 290.5 million, and matching all five white balls without the Mega Ball normally yields a base $2 million before any multipliers and taxes are applied.
What to do if you played
If you grabbed tickets for this week's drawings, now is the time to check your numbers on your state lottery's website or the official game listings, then stash any potentially winning ticket somewhere safe. Prizes are subject to federal and state taxes and must be claimed under each state's specific rules. For verified winner announcements and retailer information, see your state lottery's results page, such as the Texas Lottery or the Maryland Lottery listings.
