There were no winners of Friday night's $1 billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot, meaning that the grand prize for the next drawing Tuesday rolls on to a world record–breaking $1.6 billion, the company announced Saturday.
BREAKING: No jackpot winners in Friday's #MegaMillions drawing - jackpot increases to $1.6 BILLION for Tuesday! 🔗 Check your numbers here: https://t.co/kNmsHrWqoU https://t.co/WBUNNMQGAF
The new grand total will make it the largest lottery in jackpot history, surpassing the $1.586 billion Powerball drawing in January 2016, which was split by winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee.
“Mega Millions has already entered historic territory, but it’s truly astounding to think that now the jackpot has reached an all-time world record,” Gordon Medenica, lead director of the Mega Millions Group and director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming, said in a statement.
Friday's $1 billion jackpot had already been the largest grand prize in Mega Millions history and the second largest in US lottery history.
The winning numbers were: 65 53 23 15 70. Mega Ball: 7.
The line continues at the Safeway in the Marina to buy lottery tickets. The mega millions is now 1 billion. People are buying multiple tickets! https://t.co/PijxTFDyVd
People all over the country lined up Friday to purchase tickets at supermarkets, gas stations, and convenience stores for a shot at the big prize.
"That's the winning ticket, and if I do win, this is the last time you will ever see me in Penn Station. Thank you and have a good day,” one lottery player, Phil Sparacino, told the Associated Press in New York.
The last Mega Millions grand prize was won on July 24, when 11 coworkers in California split a $543 million jackpot.
“This is truly uncharted territory, and it’s exciting to see people across the country buying their tickets and joining in the fun,” Medenica said.
The odds of winning the Mega Millions grand prize are 1 in 302,575,350. In case you were wondering, the odds of being struck by lightning in your lifetime are 1 in 14,600. So, you totally have a shot!