Another Lottery Jackpot Is Still Growing

UPDATE Jul 26, 2023 2:00 AM CDT

The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to an estimated $910 million after Tuesday night's drawing produced no big winners, extending a stretch of bad luck dating back to April, the AP reports. The numbers drawn were: 3, 5, 6, 44, 61 and the yellow ball 25. The absence of a winner for the estimated $820 million jackpot brings the count of fruitless drawings to 28, at least for the big prize. The $910 million pot on the line Friday night will be that high only if a sole player wins and they choose to be paid through an annuity of one immediate payment and 29 annual allotments. But jackpot winners nearly always take the cash in a lump sum, which for Friday night's drawing would be an estimated $464.2 million.

Jul 22, 2023 5:30 AM CDT

No winner for the Mega Millions top prize has sent the jackpot soaring to an estimated $820 million, the AP reports. The numbers drawn late Friday night were: 29, 40, 47, 50, 57 and gold Mega Ball 25. The estimated $820 million in the next drawing would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Tuesday night's drawing is an estimated $422 million. Despite the game's long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grows.

The last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was April 18. The Powerball jackpot also was approaching near-record levels before a tiny neighborhood store in downtown Los Angeles sold the winning ticket for Wednesday's drawing, worth an estimated $1.08 billion. Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as in Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands.