As September unfolds, the Mega Millions jackpot continues to heat up. Following Tuesday night’s drawing, where no ticket matched all six numbers, the estimated jackpot for Friday has surged to $740 million, or a lump-sum cash option of $366.3 million.
If won, this would mark the seventh largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.
The excitement surrounding the largest Mega Millions jackpot since March has led to a significant increase in winners at all other prize levels. In the September 3 drawing alone, there were 1,522,011 winning tickets. Notably, two of these tickets—sold in Kansas and Michigan—matched all five white balls, securing the $1 million second-tier prize.
The jackpot has been rolling since the last win of $552 million in Illinois on June 4. Over the course of 26 drawings during this jackpot run, more than 19 million tickets have won prizes in non-jackpot tiers.
So far this year, only two Mega Millions jackpots have been claimed.
Prior to the Illinois win in June, a staggering $1.128 billion was won in New Jersey, a prize that remains unclaimed.
Mega Millions holds the record for the most jackpots exceeding $1 billion, with six such instances. Tickets cost $2 each, and players can opt to add the Megaplier for an extra $1 to multiply their non-jackpot prizes.
Half of the proceeds from each ticket stay in the state where it was purchased, benefiting local causes and retailer commissions.
Drawings occur at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia.
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