Mega Millions Jackpot Officially Rises To $1 Billion – Date And Time Of Next Drawing, Odds Of Winning, Payout
Just when you thought that winning the Mega Millions jackpot would mean you’d never have to work another day, it gets even bigger and your entire family may never punch a clock again. After Tuesday’s drawing for overly huge pot, no one matched all the numbers and it just kept on growing. By early Friday afternoon, the jackpot had officially crossed the $1 billion mark and it’s time to make sure you have your tickets.
As reported by Spectrum News, the jump over the $1 billion mark happened just hours before Friday night’s drawing and it’s hard to believe that much is up for grabs. It is the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history and lines to purchase tickets are beginning to grow.
It is the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever. The very largest U.S. lottery prize of all time was the $1.586 billion paid out in a Powerball drawing in 2016.
Yahoo News reported that many New Yorkers have said they are looking to quit their jobs, go on shopping sprees, and donate a lot of money to charity. Others are just truly excited about possibly getting stress and worry out of their life.
Tickets for Mega Millions are sold in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. There are a lot of people out there who normally don’t play the lottery, but a jackpot of this size is bringing out those who have never even purchased a single ticket before.
Who couldn’t use an extra $1 billion?
It isn’t just those playing the lottery who are excited about the huge jackpot that will be available on Friday night. Gordon Medenica is the lead director of Mega Millions and he released a statement saying they are thrilled with how many people are turning out to buy tickets.
“This is truly uncharted territory, and it’s exciting to see people across the country buying their tickets and joining in the fun.”
As the Mega Millions drawing inches ever closer, you don’t have much time left to pick up your tickets. Here are some important things you need to know if you’re one of those hoping to make that $1 billion jackpot yours.
- Date: Friday, October 19, 2018
- Time: 11 p.m. ET
- Odds of winning jackpot: 1 in 302 million
- Lump sum payout: $565 million
The lottery is one of those things that very few people win when you end up looking at the number of people who actually play it. Still, taking that chance and hoping you’re that one person in 302 million who can take home the cash prize is sometimes worth the gamble. With the Mega Millions jackpot soaring to $1 billion for Friday night’s drawing, grabbing a couple of tickets may actually not be a bad idea as the payout could be worth the chance.
