US Mega Millions lottery jackpot soars to $1.05bn
The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.05bn Friday night, only the fifth time in the history of that particular lottery that the grand prize has reached into the billions.
It has been less than two weeks since someone in Los Angeles won a $1.08bn Powerball prize that ranked as the sixth-largest in US lottery history. The winner of that Powerball prize still has not come forward.
No one managed to beat the massive odds and match all six numbers for Friday’s estimated $940m jackpot. The numbers drawn were: 5, 10, 28, 52, 63 and the gold ball 18.
There have been 29 straight draws without a Mega Millions jackpot winner since the last grand prize ticket on 18 April.
The $1.05bn prize up for grabs in the next drawing Tuesday night would be for a sole winner choosing to be paid through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. Yet lottery jackpot winners almost always opt for a lump sum payment, which for Tuesday’s drawing would be an estimated $527.9m.
Tuesday’s potential jackpot is the fourth-largest in the game, Mega Millions said in a statement early Saturday.
Although there were no jackpot winners, one ticket in Pennsylvania was worth $5m and another in the state connected for $1m. There also were $1m winners in Arizona, California and New York, Mega Millions said.
Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. Winnerless draws attract a growing number of players and therefore larger jackpots.
For Mega Millions, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 302.6 million.
Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington DC, and the US Virgin Islands.
Source: The Guardian US
