The Mega Millions jackpot has remained unclaimed and will therefore continue to grow. After two big jackpot wins in a row, the game seems to be experiencing a temporary lull, as no one won a seven-figure prize either.
No Big Winner Was Crowned
The Tuesday Mega Millions drawing was somewhat unremarkable as no winner of the grand jackpot was selected. If a player had managed to match all five numbers and the Mega Ball correctly, they would have been in for an $80 million payday. For context, the prize had an estimated cash value of $36.2 million.
The winning numbers for the December 16 drawing were the following: 20, 24, 46, 59, and 65. The Mega Ball, on the other hand, was 7.
As mentioned, no one won a seven-figure prize by matching all five white numbers either. At the same time, only a few players managed to correctly match four numbers and the Mega Ball. Two of these will take $20,000 each, while another two will take $30,000 each instead due to the 3X Multiplier feature.
What seems to be a lull can be attributed to the aftermath of a fairly busy Mega Millions season, which saw the game award two jackpots within several days of one another. These included a jaw-dropping $980 million prize that went to a player in Georgia, as well as a $90 million prize that was claimed by a player in New Jersey.
In any case, the Mega Millions jackpot has now reached $90 million with a cash value of $40.8 million.
Fraudsters Try to Leverage Mega Millions’ Popularity
A day before the latest drawing, Mega Millions officials warned players of scammers who are impersonating Mega Millions officials online, leveraging the game’s recognizable logo to promote a fake “special drawing.”
Khalid Jones, executive director of the Virginia Lottery and lead director of Mega Millions said:
These criminals use a lot of tricks to create the appearance of legitimacy. These scams all have one thing in common: They try to trick you into getting your money or personal information by claiming that you have won a large lottery prize.
Khalid Jones, lead director, Mega Millions
Mega Millions encouraged fans to remain vigilant and be wary of insidious fraudsters. A full list of suggestions on avoiding scams is available on Mega Millions’ official website.