The Mega Millions jackpot has soared to an estimated $800 million, captivating lottery enthusiasts nationwide with one of the game’s largest prizes to date. The next draw, scheduled for Tuesday, September 10, offers a cash option of $401.8 million, ranking only behind the six Mega Millions jackpots that have exceeded $1 billion.
The increase in the jackpot size follows a streak of 27 draws without a jackpot winner since June 4, when a ticket in Illinois secured a $552 million prize. During this span, over 20.7 million winning tickets have been sold across all prize tiers, including 57 second-tier prizes of $1 million or more. These tickets were distributed across 25 jurisdictions, from coast to coast including Arizona, California, and New York, among others.
The latest drawing on September 6 alone accounted for six second-tier prizes. Notably, one ticket in Ohio secured $2 million by incorporating the optional Megaplier feature, which doubles the prize for an additional $1. The other five tickets, each worth $1 million, were sold in states like California, Florida, and Texas.
Furthermore, 49 tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball in the same draw, earning third-tier prizes. Ten of these tickets won $20,000 each due to the Megaplier, while the remaining 39 won $10,000 each. In total, the September 6 draw produced 1,699,484 winning tickets across various prize levels.
It’s important to note that prize amounts in California vary since they are calculated on a pari-mutuel basis. So far this year, only two Mega Millions jackpots have been claimed: the aforementioned Illinois jackpot and a $1.128 billion prize in New Jersey, which remains unclaimed. Winners in New Jersey have one year from the drawing date to claim their prize.
Mega Millions stands out as the only lottery game to have produced six billion-dollar jackpots, with each won in a different state. The largest to date was in Florida, reaching $1.602 billion on August 8, 2023.
Tickets for Mega Millions are available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They cost $2 each, with an option to add the Megaplier for an additional dollar. Half of the proceeds from ticket sales are retained within the selling state to support various designated causes and retailer commissions.
Draws are held at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24, while the odds of winning the jackpot stand at 1 in 302,575,350.
