(NEXSTAR) — Ahead of Tuesday’s drawing, the Mega Millions jackpot reached an estimated $785 million, making it the fourth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the sixth-largest lottery prize in the U.S.
This is only the fourth time the Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed $700 million, according to game officials. The other three times, the jackpot ultimately past $1 billion, becoming the largest grand prizes in the game’s history.
If a ticket matches all six numbers drawn Tuesday, seen below, the winner will land a jackpot with a cash option of $403.8 million, officials say.
Here are Tuesday’s winning numbers: 25, 29, 33, 41, 44, and gold Mega Ball 18.
Tickets sold in California and Florida for an Oct. 14 drawing shared the last Mega Millions jackpot of $502 million. The lottery’s top prize has been building anew over 20 drawings held since then.
Last year, a record-setting Mega Millions jackpot worth $1.4 billion was claimed in Illinois. It was the nation’s third-largest lottery prize for nearly four months until November when a Powerball ticket sold in California matched the winning numbers for a $2.04 billion jackpot.
If there is no winner in Tuesday’s drawing, the Mega Millions jackpot would have to grow by more than $2 million to become the third-largest prize in the game’s history. That spot is currently held by a $1.05 billion prize claimed in Michigan in 2021.
During Tuesday’s drawing, officials said the jackpot could surpass $900 million ahead of Friday’s drawing.
There are a couple of factors that will impact just how big the Mega Millions jackpot gets before Friday’s drawing.
Here are the largest Mega Millions jackpots to date:
- $1.537 billion: Oct. 23, 2018 (SC)
- $1.337 billion: July 29, 2022 (IL)
- $1.050 billion: Jan. 22, 2021 (MI)
- $785 million (est.)
- $656 million: Mar. 30, 2012 (IL, KS, MD)
- $648 million: Dec. 17, 2013 (CA, GA)
- $543 million: July 24, 2018 (CA)
- $536 million: July 8, 2016 (IN)
- $533 million: Mar. 30, 2018 (NJ)
- $522 million: June 7, 2019 (CA)
With or without a jackpot winner, the next Mega Millions drawing is at 11 p.m. ET Friday.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Tickets are $2 and there are a total of nine ways to win a prize.
