Mega Millions jackpot now $627m ahead of Friday draw

The Tuesday draw of the Mega Millions lottery game had the United States hold its breath. A winner could have bagged an eye-watering amount, but instead, no winning ticket had been sold, meaning that the top prize has now reached $627m just ahead of the game’s Friday draw.

Mega Millions tops $627m prize pool as no winner emerges

What this means in practice is that someone may win an eye-watering sum in just a few days, with the cash option for the jackpot set at $309.1m, based on information shared by Mega Millions. The Mega Millions jackpot has remained elusive for several months now.

The last time the top prize was won was by an Illinois player who bagged $552m. Although the latest draw was a miss, the Mega Millions website did say that some people have benefited. For example, one player had been able to hit the Megaplier for $2m, and two others had all the five white balls matched.

Mega Millions has become a cultural phenomenon of unmatched significance. Even if you are not the gambling type or generally think lotteries are "stupid," to quote a once-popular TV show, the fact is that Mega Millions costs only $2 to play in a draw. The potential return could be huge.

The largest Mega Millions jackpot to have ever been won is $1.6bn and it was claimed by the state of Florida by a single player in 2023.

Mega Millions trivia and recent jackpot winners

It’s worth noting that another jackpot – a $1.13bn - had also been won this year, but it remains unclaimed, as some players do happen to never find out that they had won.

Overall, Mega Millions has been offering proportionally larger sums, as player interest has continued to soar. There have been "only" six billion-worth jackpots won in the history of the Mega Millions lottery since it launched in 2022.

In 2024, there have been only two jackpots won so far – one is the unclaimed $1.13bn one, and the other – the $552m on June 4.

Image credit: Focal Foto (@Flickr)