Mega Millions jackpot soars to $1.35 billion — 2nd largest in history — after no winner claimed Tuesday’s prize
By Aya Elamroussi, CNN
The Mega Millions jackpot has reached an estimated $1.35 billion — the second-largest in the lottery’s history — after no winner snagged the big prize in Tuesday night’s drawing, officials said.
That’s a boost from Tuesday’s jackpot of $1.1 billion, which saw no tickets match all six winning numbers of 7, 13, 14, 15, 18 and the Mega Ball 9.
While no ticket matched the jackpot drawing, 16 won the game’s second-tier prize, taking home as much as $3 million.
The next drawing for the estimated $1.35 billion prize — which would amount to roughly $707.9 million if the winner chooses the cash option — is scheduled for Friday night. If won, it would be second only to a $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in South Carolina in 2018, the lottery said.
“While many consider Friday the 13th an unlucky day, it has been rewarding for Mega Millions players over the years, with six previous jackpots won on such a day. There’s a chance for another this Friday, and it’s a big one!” the lottery said in a news release early Wednesday.
Michigan seems to have been a lucky charm for Friday the 13th drawings; four jackpots were won in the state in 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2017, with the most recent one shared with a Rhode Island winner, the Mega Millions lottery said.
Other prizes won on Friday the 13th were in New York in 2009 and Ohio in 2015.
The Mega Millions’ massive jackpot topped the billion-dollar mark after nearly three months with no winning ticket drawn.
The last jackpot was won at $502 million on October 14, when there were two winning tickets from California and Florida, the Mega Millions said. Since then, more than 33 million winning tickets have been sold, including 68 players who took home $1 million or more, lottery added.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, along with the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands.
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CNN’s Chris Boyette contributed to this report.
