Mega Millions jackpot grows to $720 million ahead of Friday’s drawing
Written by ABC AUDIO on July 21, 2023
(NEW YORK) — Just two days after a winning ticket was sold for the $1 billion Powerball, another lucky person has a chance at a mega-lottery drawing Friday.
The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $720 million — marking the lotto game’s fifth-largest top prize in its history.
There have been no jackpot winners in 26 consecutive drawings, since the grand prize was last won on April 18. Players must match all six numbers to claim the jackpot.
The cash option of the jackpot is an estimated $369.6 million — offered as a one-time, lump-sum payment. Otherwise the winnings can be paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments, with the annuity option.
The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 302.6 million.
The estimated $720 million prize marks the fifth time the Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed $700 million. The previous four times that occurred the top winnings continued to grow past $1 billion, with billion-dollar winners in 2018, 2021, 2022 and January 2023.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets are $2 for one play. Friday’s drawing is at 11 p.m. ET.
On Wednesday, a winning ticket for the $1 billion Powerball jackpot was sold in Los Angeles. The jackpot — the third-largest in Powerball history — has a cash value of $516.8 million, before taxes.
The prize had yet to be claimed, a California Lottery spokesperson said Thursday, adding that it entails a thorough vetting process to verify it’s their ticket.
Winners are also advised to hire a team of advisers when claiming such a large sum.
The winning ticket marked the second billion-dollar-plus Powerball jackpot claimed in Southern California in eight months.
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