Another Mega Millions drawing, another night without a big winner — but a few millionaires were made overnight in New York and New Jersey.
No one hit all six numbers and won the estimated $940 million jackpot, pushing the lottery prize to an estimated $1.1 billion ahead of the next drawing Tuesday night. The prize is now the third-largest in U.S. history.
The numbers drawn late Friday were: 3, 20, 46, 59, 63 and gold Mega Ball 13.
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While no grand prize winners came from the last drawing, there are multiple people in New York and New Jersey holding onto tickets worth $1 million. Five tickets were sold nationwide that matched all five white balls, winning the game's second-tier prize.
Of those five tickets, two were sold in New York, while another was sold in New Jersey. It was not immediately clear where in each state the tickets were sold. There was also one winner each sold in Florida and Maryland as well.
In addition to the $1 million prizes, there were 115 tickets that matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball to win the third-tier prize. Of those, 15 are worth $30,000 each because they included the Megaplier; the others are worth $10,000 each.
There have now been 24 Mega Millions drawings without a jackpot winner, stretching back for more than two months. The winless streak is largely due to the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million.
The new estimated prize of $1.1 billion is for a winner who chooses an annuity paid annually over 29 years. Grand prize winners usually take the cash option, which for Tuesday night’s drawing will be an estimated $568.7 million.
“Mega Millions has just reached the $1 billion mark again. It’s especially nice to see the jackpot grow throughout the holidays and into the new year,” Pat McDonald, the Ohio lottery director and lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement early Saturday. “As the jackpot grows, we encourage our players to keep within their entertainment budget and enjoy this jackpot run right along with us.”
The only Mega Millions jackpots larger than the estimated $1.1 billion opportunity on Tuesday have been the $1.53 billion won in South Carolina in 2018 and $1.33 billion winning ticket in Illinois in July, Mega Millions said in the statement.
Elijah Kouza, assistant manager of Buscemi’s convenience store in Livonia, Michigan, said the Mega Millions jackpot drew numerous customers before Friday night's draw. The $940 million prize was prominently advertised at the store and Kouza expected far more Mega Millions ticket sales than the 20 to 25 normally sold on a Friday.
“It’s kind of hilarious to me, because if it’s like $100 million, people are like, ‘Nah.’ They’ll pass,” he said.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
