Illinois Lottery hands out 970 free Mega Millions tickets in Milan
By Rachel Davis
The Illinois Lottery handed out 970 free Mega Millions tickets at Hy-Vee in Milan today in honor of the $970 million jackpot that could be awarded on Friday — or roll over into an even bigger jackpot.
It’s already the biggest in Mega Millions history — and sits behind only the 2016 $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot among the largest prizes.
EARLIER UPDATE
October 17, 2018
The already-giant Mega Millions prize is now at $900 million after a drawing Tuesday night turned up no winners.
Lottery officials raised the estimated jackpot, which had been $667 million.
The next drawing will be Friday. If someone wins the jackpot, it would mark the second-largest lottery grand prize in U.S. history.
The record lottery jackpot was a $1.6 billion Powerball prize won in January 2016.
Mega Millions is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
EARLIER UPDATE
October 15, 2018
Players have the chance to win an estimated $654 million jackpot in Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing.
It is the second-largest jackpot in the game’s history and the fourth-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.
The winning numbers from Friday’s Mega Millions drawing were 4, 24, 46, 61 and 70, and the Mega Ball number was 7. While there was no jackpot winner in Friday night’s drawing, Illinois players won more than 112,600 prizes, ranging from $2 to $10,000.
Tuesday’s estimated Mega Millions jackpot combined with Wednesday’s estimated Powerball jackpot of $354 million brings the jackpot total of the two national games to $999 million – the fourth-largest combined figure ever. The top two spots on that list occurred during the roll that culminated with the record-setting Powerball jackpot in January 2016 ($1.586 billion).
The largest lottery jackpots and the states where they were won are as follows:
Mega Millions Top 10 Jackpots
1. $656 million 3/30/2012 Kansas, Illinois, Maryland
2. $654 million 10/16/2018 ???
3. $648 million 12/17/2013 California, Georgia
4. $543 million 7/24/2018 California
5. $536 million 7/8/2016 Indiana
6. $533 million 3/30/2018 New Jersey
7. $451 million 1/5/2018 Florida
8. $414 million 3/18/2014 Florida, Maryland
9. $393 million 8/11/2017 Illinois
10. $390 million 3/6/2007 Georgia, New Jersey
U.S. Lottery Top-10 Jackpots
1. $1.586 billion 1/13/2016 California, Florida, Tennessee (Powerball)
2. $758.7 million 8/23/2017 Massachusetts (Powerball)
3. $656 million 3/30/2012 Kansas, Illinois, Maryland (Mega Millions)
4. $654 million 10/16/2018 ??? (Mega Millions)
5. $648 million 12/17/2013 California, Georgia (Mega Millions)
6. $590.5 million 5/18/2013 Florida (Powerball)
7. $587.5 million 11/28/2012 Arizona, Missouri (Powerball)
8. $564.1 million 2/11/2015 N. Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas (Powerball)
9. $559.7 million 1/6/2018 New Hampshire (Powerball)
10. $543 million 7/24/2018 California (Mega Millions)
QUICK MEGA MILLIONS FACTS
Current jackpot is $654 million; cash option of $372 million
Jackpots start at $40 million
Overall odds of winning the jackpot 1:302,575,350
Drawings are at 10 p.m. CT every Tuesday and Friday
EARLIER UPDATE
September 28, 2018
Players have the chance to win a combined $549 million in estimated jackpots this weekend.
The jackpot in tonight’s Mega Millions drawing has rolled to an estimated $336 million, and the jackpot for Saturday’s Powerball drawing has reached an estimated $213 million.
The winning numbers from Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing were 8, 16, 32, 48 and 61, and the Mega Ball number was 12. While there was no jackpot winner in Tuesday night’s drawing, Illinois players won more than 36,500 prizes, ranging from $2 to $1,000.
The winning numbers from Wednesday’s Powerball drawing were 1, 2, 7, 30 and 50, and the Powerball number was 8. While there was no jackpot winner in Wednesday night’s drawing, Illinois players won more than 20,500 prizes, ranging from $1 to $1,000,000.
QUICK MEGA MILLIONS FACTS
Current jackpot is $336 million; cash option of $195 million
Jackpots start at $40 million
Overall odds of winning the jackpot 1:302,575,350
Drawings are at 10 p.m. CT every Tuesday and Friday
QUICK POWERBALL FACTS
Current jackpot at $213 million; cash option of $124.6 million
Jackpots start at $40 million
Overall odds of winning the jackpot 1:292,201,338
Drawings are at 9:59 p.m. CT every Wednesday and Saturday
