In anticipation of the fifth annual National Lottery Week, the Mega Millions® jackpot is reaching unprecedented heights. The estimated jackpot for the upcoming drawing on Tuesday, July 18, is a staggering $640 million, with a cash option of $328.0 million. This record-breaking prize adds an extra dose of excitement to the nationwide celebration of lotteries' positive impact on various charitable causes.
The current jackpot is the seventh largest in Mega Millions history, making it a highly anticipated event for lottery enthusiasts—the massive prize results from no ticket matching all six numbers during the July 14 drawing. The winning numbers for that drawing were 10, 24, 48, 51, and 66 for the white balls and 15 for the gold Mega Ball. As a result, the current jackpot has been accumulating since its last win in New York on April 18. Tuesday's drawing will mark the 26th consecutive drawing in this series.
With the increasing jackpot, the number of winning tickets across all prize tiers has also risen. In the previous drawing on July 14 alone, there were 1,695,070 winning tickets across all prize levels. Among these, four tickets matched all five white balls, securing the second-tier prize. One of these winning tickets, sold in South Carolina, included the optional Megaplier feature, which multiplied its prize value by 2. As a result, the fortunate South Carolina ticket holder will receive a remarkable $2 million. The remaining second-tier winning tickets were sold in California (two) and North Carolina.
Furthermore, 50 tickets successfully matched four white balls and the Mega Ball, winning the third-tier prize. Among these, five tickets are worth $20,000 each due to their inclusion of the Megaplier option. The remaining 45 tickets will receive the standard third-tier prize of $10,000.
Since the previous jackpot win on April 18, over 15.9 million winning tickets have been sold across various non-jackpot prizes, ranging from $2 to $3 million. These include 23 second-tier prizes of $1 million or more spread across 15 jurisdictions, including California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.
This year has already witnessed an unusually high number of jackpot winners, totaling six in less than four months. The winning streak commenced with a remarkable $1.348 billion prize claimed in Maine on January 13, which ranks as the second-largest prize ever awarded in Mega Millions history. Three swift wins followed this. The subsequent drawing on January 17 produced a $20 million winner in New York. Just two drawings later, Massachusetts celebrated a $33 million jackpot on January 24, followed closely by another jackpot win for $31 million in Massachusetts. New York continued the winning streak with two more victories, one for $483 million on April 14 and another for $20 million on April 18. This marked the first time in Mega Millions history that two consecutive jackpots were won in the same state.
The Mega Millions lottery is the only game to award four jackpots surpassing $1 billion. These monumental wins occurred in 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Tickets for the Mega Millions drawing can be purchased in 45 states, including Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each ticket costs $2, with an optional Megaplier available for an additional $1 to multiply non-jackpot prizes. The drawings occur on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time in Atlanta, Georgia.
It's worth noting that half of the proceeds from each Mega Millions ticket sale remain in the state where the ticket was purchased. This funding is crucial in supporting various charitable causes and providing retailer commissions.
As National Lottery Week approaches, the rising Mega Millions jackpot generates immense anticipation and excitement among lottery players nationwide. With a life-changing prize at stake, millions of hopeful participants eagerly await the Tuesday drawing, hoping to secure a place in lottery history while supporting the greater good through their participation.
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