The Friday Mega Million lottery jackpot is approaching the $1 billion mark

With no Tuesday lottery winner matching all six numbers, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to almost $1 billion, one of the biggest prizes in the game’s history.

The next drawing on Friday will feature an estimated prize of $940 million, the multi-state lottery company said on Wednesday. This is the fourth largest jackpot since Mega Millions launched in 2002. There have been 23 draws since the last jackpot was won in October.

The last time a player matched all six numbers on October 14, two tickets shared a $502 million jackpot and were bought in San Jose, California and Fort Myers, Florida. The Mega Millions lottery is played in 45 states, including the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. It was first introduced in 2002 and features a six number draw, with some states offering an optional $1 multiplier.

The biggest jackpot in the history of the game was bought in South Carolina in October 2018. According to lottery officials, the single ticket was worth $1.5 billion.

Another billionaire was made in January 2021 when a $1.05 billion winning ticket was bought in Michigan. And last year, one person in Illinois won a $1.3 billion jackpot, according to the Mega Millions Consortium, the 10-state governing body that oversees the game.

While there were no Mega Millions jackpot winners in Tuesday’s drawing, there were almost 3 million players who won various prizes for matching three to five numbers. Nine tickets were sold in Arizona, Mississippi and South Dakota, each worth $4 million. Three tickets sold in Texas, Virginia and Maryland were each worth $1 million, according to official figures, 68 tickets won $40,000 each, and 56 won $10,000 each.

In 2022 there were six Mega Million jackpot winners ranging from a $20 million prize to the $1.3 billion prize won in Illinois.

Mega Millions tickets sell for $2 and Friday’s drawing takes place at 7:59pm PT.