Largest jackpot in 20 months
By Todd Northrop
The last time the multi-state Mega Millions jackpot was this big, it was busy setting the record for the largest lottery jackpot in history.
After nobody won Friday night's grand prize, the Mega Millions jackpot grew to an estimated $257 million — the largest since the record-setting $656 million jackpot set on March 30, 2012.
The lump-sum cash value stands at a staggering $139.2 million.
Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 17 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on October 4 as a $12 million grand prize — it has been two months since Mega Millions has had a jackpot winner.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs. Occasionally the official jackpot estimate is raised even before the drawing, due to larger-than-expected sales.
In Friday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 1 lucky player from Kentucky matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize.
The Kentucky winner did not purchase their ticket with the Megaplier option for an extra $1 per play. If they had, their prize would have been increased to $4 million, because the Megaplier number drawn was 4.
Also, a total of 44 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $5,000 prize. Of those tickets, 6 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $5,744.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, November 29, 2013, were 9, 41, 43, 47, and 57, with Mega Ball number 5. The Megaplier number was 4.
Following the Friday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $27 million from its previous amount of $230 million. The cash value was raised by $14.1 million, from its previous amount of $125.1 million.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 43 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $1 each.
A 44th Mega Millions state may be added in early 2014, as the state of Wyoming has approved a new state lottery with the intention of joining multi-state lottery games. (See Wyoming officially becomes 44th state with a lottery, Lottery Post, Mar. 14, 2013.)
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
I'm still waiting a few more drawings until I jump in. It's the state lottery for me until then. The jackpot is less with the state lottery but it has better odds.
With those odds, the MM gave people what they want. Bigger jackpots that nobody can win.
The fever is on!!!
Even for the non-number, occasional players , ya gottta take a chance!
The Kentucky winner did not purchase their ticket with the Megaplier option for an extra $1 per play. If they had, their prize would have been increased to $4 million, because the Megaplier number drawn was 4.
WOW i bet that they regret that now
$1.00 more people give it up
Congrats to the KY WINNER
Yesss. My prediction of a billion dollar jackpot before the end of the year is still alive lol.
Does anyone know, are the odds for MM the worst for any major lottery game out there? LOL. Not whining. Just curious. If any other lottery game in existence has similar odds to MM and what the average JP wins have been. Once every 6 months? Once per year? For instance, almost all PB JP wins occur within a 2 month period. Occasionally it goes to 3 months or so but that's a rarity. Just wondering what we should expect to see for the MM JP.
Woo Hoo!
Very nice Jackpot for Tuesday!
I'd gladly take the JP from the state's 6/49 game w/odds of 1 in a little less than 14 mil.
right now it has a cash value of 7.9 mils. even w our onerous state tax of 10.8% and fed tax @ 39% you'd still about 3.6 mils,
all in need to retire.
No it isn't when you consider its overall odds of winning something. I've played it twice buying a $5 ticket each time and won something both times. Granted, the first time I won $1 and last night I won $2 but there are games with better odds of winning the jackpot that I've spend $10 on and won nothing.
I think it's the overall odds of winning something that going to keep players interested inspite of the odds being unlikely that they will ever win the jackpot.
What would be super awesome is that someone would wake up on Christmas day, check their numbers and found out they've won...what could be better....hmmm waking up a week later on New Years day and realizing you hit the jackpot....What an awesome way to start the New Year LOL
Keep on rollin...........
I agree maringoman.
The Mega sign at the store states it a 1 in 15 chance to win. That is incorrect, it should read you have a i in 15 chance to break even. It cost a dollar per ticket, if you played one pick and had the Mega ball you would get your dollar back. No win.
If you look at the odds on the Mega website the odds are different than the advertisement in the store.
http://www.megamillions.com/how-to-play
I believe it will take a miracle if anyone wins. Yes i will play, i do believe in miracles.
Good Luck to ya.
P.S. Remember it's not a win unless you receive more than you played. If you got 10 ez picks and had the mega ball twice, you lost $8.00. Simple math. Don't fool yourself or you will bet more than you can afford. Just sayin'
Smart players always play MM with megaplier, and that's the only way to go
The ticket price is 1 dollar.
If I want to play one combination online, it is 2.50 dollars.
Somebody is making money there!
The expectancy might be under 50 cents and online play would make that 20 percent, and I am very optimistic there for the outcome!
Our local lottery doesn't charge us extra for online play. It might even be cheaper in the end!
Amen. If you play PB and/or MM, always do the mutiplier for the extra dollar. It might be the difference between just being comfortable versus being able to retire ASAP and do what you want to do 24/7.
This is what I want for Christmas! Please Santa!!!! It would be a Christmas miracle!
You've honed in on the correct issue: what is the frequency of jackpot wins with the new MM?
That's really what's at stake when they come up with a new lotto game: based on the expected customer base, what the frequency of jackpot wins will be.
Old MM did about $20M sales per draw average during non-frenzy periods. The new MM so far looks to be about the same, no major dropoff in sales with the new matrix. That comes to about $2 Billion per year, and you divide that by the odds on the JP and that gives you the rough frequency of jackpot wins. The actual interval between wins will vary widely, from days to months, but the average frequency can be expected to be consistent.
Old 1-in-175M MM did about 12 wins per year.(one per month) New 1-in-258M MM would be expected to do about 8 wins per year,(one every 1.5 months) given consistent sales.
But the goal is to have large jackpots, which boosts sales during the top end of those runs. Like last year's record $656M jackpot boosted sales by another $1 Billion on top of regular sales all by itself!
The current run will be won before the end of the year, and possibly before Christmas.
I'm lovin it, I'm glad they shut down the cheats.
Those cheat codes they have in New York didn't work out this time did they?
I've been playing the megaplier since they changed the formula and have won more than I have in the past. The 5 megaplier has drawn several times and with the smaller number of mega ball numbers, I've hit a few. I had 2+1 for $20 on last night's draw. I still won't do the PB Powerplay... just not ready to fork over $3 per play.
But, don't get me wrong, I'm still behind on spending vs winning, but am closer than before.
Still playing for that jackpot. Megamillions, Powerball, or Texas Lotto. Occasional Texas 2 Step. I'll take any one of them.
I have a feeling that oregon will have a million dollar winner before this jackpot run is done so hopefully it is me with my megaplier ticket.-weshar75
MM sales are way down; they fell dramatically since the $2 powerball, further with the new matrix.
Think of it, a 17th draw with a bump - with a weakened annuity - of less than $30 million at the $200 million level.
I agree that the annuity bump is pretty weak but when you factor in the cash value has only gone up $14 million for each of the past two draws it sums up the sentiment towards MM.
The annuity will have to top $300 million before we see any appreciable increase in sales.
lol WTF the sales for this drawing were less than the drawing at $205 million.
This scenario right now (where the MM jackpot is above Powerball) is the worst situation for the State lotteries. Not only are sales significantly weaker for comparable jackpot levels and even lower jackpot levels on Mega, but if you look at Powerball sales, they are significantly weaker, worse than levels before Florida joined the game.
So people who just play the higher jackpot game are going MM [a lower total spend], but the sentiment towards the new matrix is not positive, so there's people that are straight up not playing either games!
Not surprising. Thanksgiving and Black Friday. People were busy with other things besides buying MM tickets.
https://www.lotterypost.com/news/261214
Before the change Mega Million jackpot won at $190mil and their was 17 players
match five numbers.
I can't believe only 1 second place winner! wow!