Philadelphia, PA
- Without a jackpot winner in Friday evening's drawing, the Mega Millions pot for new weeks drawing on Tuesday, Oct. 23 holds an expected annuity worth of $1.6 billion – a new world record. The projected cash option will be around $905 million dollars.
Mega Millions Jackpot Skyrockets to $1.6 Billion
At $1.6 billion, Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing moves over and above the $1.586 billion Powerball drawing on Jan 13, 2016, to the biggest lottery jackpot in historical past.
“Mega Millions has already entered the historical territory, but it’s truly astounding to think that now the jackpot has reached an all-time world record,” said Gordon Medenica, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Group and Director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming. “It’s hard to overstate how exciting this is – but now it’s getting fun.”
The former record Mega Millions jackpot had been $656 million, which was shared by winners in Kansas, Illinois, and Maryland in the drawing on March 30, 2012.
The previous Mega Millions jackpot winner had been on July 24, 2018, by a group of 11 co-workers in California who split the $543 million award. There have been 25 drawings with no jackpot winner since, although 34.4 million dollars in winning tickets have been sold throughout the game’s nine prize levels.
The winning numbers for the October 19 drawing were 15, 23, 53, 65 and 70, as well as the gold Mega Ball 7. Although there had been no jackpot winner on Friday, 15 second-tier winning tickets for $1 million, sold in California, Florida, Illinois (two), Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York (four), Texas (two, including one with the Megaplier for a $2 million prize) and Virginia (two). These tickets paired five white balls, however, missed the matching the Mega Ball.
Mega Millions of tickets are $2 and are available in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are conducted at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.
