The Mega Millions jackpot jumped to $1 billion on Oct. 19, and the next drawing is tonight at 11 p.m. ET.
The Mega Millions jackpot jumped to $1 billion on Oct. 19, and the next drawing is tonight at 11 p.m. ET.
It’s the largest-ever Mega Millions prize. It has a cash option of $565 million.
The winning numbers will be posted online and as well as on the Mega Millions app after they’re revealed. “Information on the number of winners is posted on Wednesday and Saturday mornings after Mega Millions lottery security has verified winning ticket sales,” Mega Millions says on its website.
The Mega Millions game is available in 44 states, Washington D. C., and the U. S. Virgin Islands. Tickets can be bought for $2.
“Players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers—five different numbers from 1 to 70 and one number from 1 to 25—or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing,” Mega Millions says online.
It is the second-largest jackpot for any lottery game played in the United States, behind the Jan. 13,2016, Powerball that had a $1,586,400,000 jackpot. It was split three ways.
The Mega Millions prize has grown because no one has hit the jackpot since July 24.
According to USA Today, if there are no winners as of Oct. 19, the prize will increase to $1.6 billion by Tuesday, Oct. 23.
There is a one in 292.2 million chance of winning the Powerball lottery and a one in 302.5 million chance of winning the Mega Millions.
The Powerball jackpot, meanwhile, grew to $470 million, and the next drawing is Saturday, Oct. 20.
Most people, according to experts, don’t expect to win and instead are trying to be a part of a community. Jane L. Risen, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago, told USA Today: “It creates this sense of community. It creates this sense of camaraderie. I also think that it creates a potential sense of regret to not be the one playing.”
Lottery Extreme says that the top 6 most common lottery numbers drawn since 1996 are: 2,17,31,39,4, and 29. The number 2 was last drawn on Oct.2 in a lottery.
Winners can remain anonymous in six states—Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Carolina. In Arizona, people who win more than $600 can keep their names secret for 90 days after claiming prizes, but after that names are public record. In Michigan, winners are anonymous unless they win Mega Millions or Powerball prizes.
“Everyone is talking about the jackpot and running out to buy tickets for tonight’s drawing,” Gordon Medenica, Mega Millions lead director and Maryland Lottery and Gaming director, said in a CBS News report. “It’s always a thrill to have both jackpots rolling, but there’s an extra spark now with Mega Millions reaching a new record,” he added to ABC News .
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
