Mega Millions jackpot grows to $640M as one resident in Glendale wakes up $245K richer
LOS ANGELES - The Mega Millions jackpot keeps growing. No one matched all six numbers in Tuesday night's drawing, and that means the grand prize for Friday's drawing will grow to $640 million.
The numbers in Tuesday night's drawing were 9, 13, 36, 59, and 61, with the mega number 11. A ticket matching five numbers, but missing the Mega number, worth $245,984 in Tuesday's drawing was sold at a liquor store in Glendale, the California Lottery announced.
With no one winning the lottery game’s top prize Tuesday night, it has now been 21 straight drawings without anyone matching all six numbers.
The huge jackpot comes less than two months after the largest lottery prize ever, a $2.04 billion Powerball prize that was won Nov. 8 in California. So far, that big winner hasn’t stepped forward to claim the prize.
RELATED: Powerball: Winning $2 billion ticket sold in California
The reason for all the big prizes is simple — long odds ensure there are few winners and the long streaks of lottery futility allow jackpots to grow ever larger week after week.
The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot is one in 302.6 million.
The advertised jackpot of $640 million is for a winner who opts to be paid with an annuity, doled out through annual payments over 29 years. Nearly all winners take the cash option, with for Friday’s drawing will be an estimated $328.3 million.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.