Mega Millions jackpot hits record $1.55 billion for Tuesday, 8/8/23

The Mega Millions jackpot is now the largest ever.

No one matched all six balls on Friday so the jackpot will grow to an estimated $1.55 billion for the Tuesday, Aug. 8 drawing, according to the Mega Millions website. The cash option will be $757.2 million.

Tuesday's jackpot eclipses the previous record Mega Millions of $1.537 billion won in 2018.

The jackpot is the third largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever, trailing only two Powerball jackpots that reached $2.04 billion in 2022 and $1.586 billion in 2016 (see charts below).

The jackpot was last won on April 18 when someone in East Syracuse, New York won a $20 million jackpot and was also won on April 14 when a lottery player in Ozone Park, New York won a $483 million jackpot.

Here are the Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, Aug. 4, 2023:

11 - 30 - 45 - 52 - 56 and Megaball 20

Megaplier was 2x

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While no one won the jackpot there are nine new millionaires out there by matching all five white balls. Tickets sold in Michigan and Tennessee had the Megaplier to win $2 million, while tickets from Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas all won $1 million.

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Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.

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The cost is $2 per ticket, but you can add the Megaplier for $1, which will increase the amount of your potential prize up to five times the original prize (except for the jackpot).

Each player selects five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 25 for the Mega Ball. However, you can also have the lottery machine generate a random Quick Pick for you. You don't need to be a U.S. citizen or a resident a particular state where you purchase your ticket.

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You can win $2 for the matching just one - the Mega Ball. Short of the jackpot, you can win up to $1 million for matching all five white balls (except in California). You can check all the prize payouts on the Mega Millions site here.

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You can play the game in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The states not offering Mega Millions are: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

Many grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores sell lottery tickets. Some states allow Mega Millions tickets to be purchased online, but beware of scam websites. Check with your state lottery for more details.

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The deadline for purchasing a Mega Millions ticket varies by state so don't wait until the last minute. It can be 15 minutes to an hour or more before the actual drawing. For some third-party lottery apps, the deadline can be closer to two hours before the drawing. For example, Jackpocket in New Jersey has a deadline of 9:15 p.m. for the 11 p.m. ET drawing.

Click here to check the deadline for where you live.

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Playing the Mega Millions can be exciting, but just don't go spending those millions before you win.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 302,575,350-to-1. The odds to match all five white balls are 12,607,306-to-1.

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The major lotteries in the United States offer two jackpot payout options: annuity and cash.

The annuity option is paid out over time. There is an immediate payment and then 29 annual payments after that, increasing by 5% each year. The cash option is significantly lower than the advertised jackpot, but it is paid in a lump sum. You don't have to wait decades for all the money.

In some states, like New Jersey, you can win a lottery anonymously. That wasn't always the case, but now winners are able to stay anonymous under a law that was signed by Gov. Phil Murphy. In other states, a winner's name and hometown are a matter of public record. Check with your state lottery for more information.

Here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots ever:

Here's a look at the top jackpots won in the United States, between the Powerball and the Mega Millions lotteries: