Mega Millions Jackpot Grows to $398 Million for Friday

Earlier this week, there was a $374 million jackpot up for grabs from the popular lottery game, Mega Millions. While many tried their luck, nobody guessed correctly all winning numbers 23, 29, 36, 61, 70 and the Gold Mega ball 22, from the latest draw.

The Megaplier from Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing was 4x which means that a player who paid extra for the feature and matched five winning numbers would have won $4 million. On the bright side, while nobody grabbed the grand prize, one player was fortunate enough to match five winning numbers for a million-dollar prize.

The lucky player from Ohio matched the winning numbers 23, 29, 36, 61 and 70 to secure a second-tier prize of $1 million. Still, it’s important to note that state and federal taxes apply to lottery winnings which means that the sum the lucky Ohioan will secure will be less than the million itself. Still, the win is undoubtedly going to bring excitement to the fortunate player, whoever they may be.

The recent survival of the Mega Millions jackpot enabled it to continue growing. Now, ahead of the upcoming draw, the grand prize from the popular lottery game is nearly $400 million. To be precise, the jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing will be $398 million. Just like with other lottery prizes, to collect the full sum, the lucky player needs to select an annuity option.

In case they prefer taking home a lump cash sum, that’s also possible. If a fortunate player beats the odds of 1 in 302.6 million to win the Mega Millions jackpot and selects the cash option, they would be collecting the life-changing sum of $197.9 million.

The next drawing for Mega Millions is scheduled for Friday, August 9, 2024, at 11 PM ET.

Thousands of Mega Millions Players Win Smaller Prizes

Besides the million-dollar second-tier prize, other lucky lottery players also won smaller prizes. A total of 13 players won $10,000 each by guessing four winning numbers along with the Gold Mega ball. The same correct prediction awarded one player who paid for a Megaplier a prize of $40,000.

Nearly 400 players won $500 each for matching four winning numbers from Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing. Another 70 players won a $2,000 Megaplier prize each.

Not unexpectedly, the highest number of winners collected the lowest prize in value. A total of 475,131 lottery players matched only the Gold Mega ball from the latest draw, securing a prize of $2 each.