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Mega Millions jackpot soars to fourth largest prize in the US

In this file photo, a Mega Millions lottery ticket rests on the shop counter at the Street Corner Market in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

(WJW) — Anticipation is building and so is the Mega Millions jackpot.

The jackpot rolled again on Friday night after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn: 14, 40, 60, 64 and 66, plus the gold Mega Ball 16. The top prize has now soared to $790 million with a cash option of $464.4 million.


There were still millions of winners in Friday night’s drawing – a total of 3,428,412 winning tickets at all prize levels. Four tickets matched the five white balls to win the game’s second prize. Three of them are worth $3 million each because they included the optional Megaplier, which can increase a non-jackpot prize by 2, 3, 4, or 5 times in participating states. They were sold in Delaware, New Jersey and New York.

The remaining Match 5 winning ticket, worth $1 million, was sold in Virginia.

There have been only three lottery jackpots ever won – in any game – at a higher level than next Tuesday’s estimated prize of $790 million. Two were Mega Millions jackpots – $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in 2018 and $1.050 billion won in Michigan in 2021.

The current world record lottery prize is a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot won on January 13, 2016.

Here are the top Mega Millions jackpots to date:

AmountDateWinning Tickets
$1.537 billion10/23/20181-South Carolina
$1.050 billion1/22/20211-Michigan
$790 million (est)7/26/2022?
$656 million                 3/30/2012                 3-Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
$648 million12/17/20132-California, Georiga
$543 million7/24/20181-California
$536 million7/8/20161-Indiana
$533 million3/30/20181-New Jersey
$522 million6/7/20191-California
$516 million5/21//20211-Pennsylvania
Stats courtesy MegaMillions.com

The next drawing is Tuesday, July 26 at 11 p.m. ET.

Mega Millions tickets are $2 apiece.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.