Estimated at $670 million, the jackpot, if won on the next drawing, also has a cash option which is nearly $320 million
Friday the 13th is once again around the corner. While some cultures consider the day to be unlucky, or even the unluckiest day a year may have, fortunate lottery players, have won large prizes precisely on such dates.
That is the case of several Michigan lottery players who won big earlier this year, scoring prizes that varied in size. Now, with Friday the 13th hours away, many Americans are likely going to try their luck for the growing Mega Millions jackpot.
Mega Millions Jackpot Hits $670M
The lottery game’s latest drawing was on Tuesday. Several players matched correctly all winning numbers with the exception of the Mega ball, enabling the grand prize to continue growing. While an estimated $619 million jackpot was up for grabs on Tuesday, the Mega Millions grand prize now inches closer to the mind-blowing sum of $700 million.
An estimate from the popular lottery game confirms that the grand prize is expected to hit $670 million in the upcoming drawing. If an incredibly fortunate player matches all winning numbers on the upcoming draw, they can also select a cash option which would be $317.8 million. As noted, the next drawing of Mega Millions is scheduled for Friday, December 13.
The odds of winning the top prize from Mega Millions are always the same, regardless of how many players purchase tickets. Scoring the jackpot has odds of 1 in 302.5 million.
Several Players Collected Tier-Two Prizes
From the latest drawing, a total of four players matched correctly the winning white balls, 12, 14, 26, 48 and 52. One of the tickets, belonging to an incredibly lucky player from Florida who paid extra for the game’s Megaplier option, won $5 million. The remaining three tickets, two in California and one in Maryland won the standard $1 million prize.
On the other hand, nearly three dozen fortunate players won a tier-three prize after matching correctly four white balls along with the red Mega ball. Six players paid extra for Mega Millions’ Megaplier option, increasing their payout to $50,000 each. On the other hand, the remaining 23 players collected the standard $10,000 prize each.
Recently, the winner of a Mega Millions jackpot from California, who already claimed half of the prize, filed a lawsuit, asking for the remaining half of the top prize. While the lawsuit was filed earlier this month, the drawing in question dates back to December 8, 2023. The fortunate player, who already collected $197.5 million, claimed that he also purchased a second identical ticket, which is why he is due to receive the full $394 million jackpot.
