As spring begins, the Mega Millions jackpot continues its significant climb, with no winners in the latest drawing on March 19. The jackpot has now reached an estimated $977 million, with a cash option of $461 million for the upcoming draw on Friday, March 22. This growth marks a rare occasion in the lottery’s history, becoming only the sixth time the jackpot has neared the $1 billion threshold.
The absence of a jackpot winner in the recent draw, which featured the numbers 24, 46, 49, 62, 66, and the gold Mega Ball 7, adds to the excitement and anticipation among players nationwide. The current prize pool has been building since December 8, following 29 draws without a top-tier winner, during which more than 23.6 million lower-tier prizes were awarded.
Throughout these draws, 37 tickets won the second-tier prize of $1 million or more, spreading across 19 states, from Arizona to Virginia. The March 19 draw alone produced over 2.1 million winning tickets, including four second-tier winners from California, Florida, Texas, and Virginia, and 41 third-tier winners across the country.
Mega Millions stands out as the only lottery game to have awarded five jackpots over $1 billion, with winners from South Carolina, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, and Florida, where the record $1.602 billion jackpot was won last August.
Tickets for the Mega Millions are priced at $2, available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with an optional Megaplier feature for an additional $1 to increase non-jackpot prize amounts. The lottery’s proceeds are distributed within the selling state, supporting various causes and retailer commissions.
Draws are held twice weekly in Atlanta, Georgia, with the next anticipation for Friday’s drawing reaching a fever pitch as players hope to claim the near-billion-dollar jackpot. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24, with the jackpot odds at 1 in 302,575,350.
