The Mega Millions jackpot has catapulted to an estimated $792 million after no participants matched all six numbers in the latest drawing. This colossal sum, pegged for the upcoming draw on Friday, March 15, ranks as the game’s sixth-largest jackpot since its inception in 2002. The elusive jackpot, now valued at $381.8 million in cash, trails behind only five other billion-dollar-plus prizes in the lottery’s history.
For 27 drawings straight, the Mega Millions jackpot has eluded capture, swelling with each game since two lucky tickets in California split the top prize last December 8. In this period, nearly 19.9 million tickets have won prizes at various levels, excluding the jackpot, with winnings ranging from $2 to $4 million. Among these, 32 tickets have scooped second-tier prizes valued at $1 million or more, distributed across 19 jurisdictions nationwide including Arizona, California, Connecticut, and several others.
The recent draw on March 12 saw 1,368,940 tickets winning prizes at different tiers. Highlighting the winnings, two tickets, sold in Massachusetts and North Carolina, clinched the $1 million second-tier prize by matching five white balls. Moreover, 32 tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball for the third-tier prize, with five of these tickets enhanced by the Megaplier feature to $30,000 each, while the rest earned $10,000 each.
Mega Millions stands out as the only lottery game to have awarded five jackpots over $1 billion, with winners spread across various states including Florida, South Carolina, Maine, Illinois, and Michigan. Available in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, lottery tickets are sold at $2 each. The addition of the Megaplier feature, for an extra $1, offers players the chance to multiply their non-jackpot prizes.
Proceeds from ticket sales are allocated within the jurisdiction of purchase, supporting local causes and retailer commissions. The drawings, held in Atlanta, Georgia, at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays, offer odds of 1 in 24 for winning any prize, with jackpot odds at 1 in 302,575,350.