Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $670 million
CHICAGO (CBS) — The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to $670 million after no one claimed the prize during Tuesday night's drawing.
Mega Millions numbers are drawn every Tuesday and Friday night. The next drawing is on Friday at 10 p.m. (CT).
If the winner opts for a cash prize, they will take home $317.8 million, Mega Millions said.
So far this year, seven Illinois Lottery players have won prizes of $1 million or more with Mega Millions.
Just three people have taken home Mega Millions jackpots this year. Before a $552 million Illinois winner in June, a New Jersey player won a haul of $1.128 billion. That prize remains unclaimed, but players in the state have a year from the drawing date to claim. There was also a winner from Sugar Land, Texas in September who claimed a $810 million prize.
Since 2018, Mega Millions has produced six jackpots of over $1 billion, with its largest prize standing at $1.602 billion. Winners lived in South Carolina, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, Florida and, most recently, New Jersey.
Huge prizes are more common, and it's not by chance, College of the Holy Cross economics professor Victor Matheson told CBS News in 2023. The Multi-State Lottery Association, a not-for-profit that coordinates the Mega Millions game, has engineered it to create larger prizes, and the lottery's transformation to a nationwide game means more people pay into the jackpot. The ticket price has also been doubled, and there are more number options available, making it even harder to win.
Tickets are $2 each, and players can add the "Megaplier" for an additional $1.
