After Tuesday’s drawing failed to produce a grand prize winner, the Mega Millions jackpot has surged to an impressive $398 million, with a cash value of $197.9 million, for the upcoming drawing on Friday, August 9, 2024. This jackpot increase comes as a result of no one hitting the jackpot in the previous draw, creating a significant prize pool that has captured the interest of lottery players across the country.
In the most recent drawing held on August 6, 2024, the winning numbers were 23, 19, 36, 61, 70, and the Mega Ball was 22. The Megaplier for this draw was 4X. Despite the excitement surrounding the high jackpot, there were no grand prize winners, so the top prize rolls over, continuing to grow. However, there was a noteworthy winner of a Match 5 ticket in Ohio, which earned a substantial $1 million.
Looking back to the previous drawing on August 2, 2024, the numbers drawn were 6, 7, 24, 44, 54, with the Mega Ball being 13, and the Megaplier also set at 4X. Again, no grand prize winners emerged, but there were Match 5 winners in California and Washington, each taking home $1 million.
The next chance to win will be on Friday, August 9, 2024, with the draw taking place at 11 p.m. Eastern Time. Mega Millions drawings are held twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, providing players with multiple opportunities to win.
For those planning to participate in the next draw, it’s important to be aware of the ticket purchase deadlines. In Delaware, tickets can be bought until 9:45 p.m. ET on the day of the drawing, while in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the cutoff time is extended to 9:59 p.m. ET.
To play Mega Millions, participants select six numbers: five from a range of 1 to 70 for the white balls and one from a range of 1 to 25 for the golden Mega Ball. For convenience, players can opt for the Easy Pick or Quick Pick option, which generates random numbers for their ticket. Each Mega Millions ticket costs $2.
Tickets can be purchased at retail locations, but players in Pennsylvania and New Jersey also have the option to buy their tickets online through their respective state lottery websites.
Mega Millions has a history of extraordinary jackpots, with the largest ever reaching $1.602 billion, won on August 8, 2023, in Florida. Other record-breaking jackpots include $1.537 billion won on October 23, 2018, in South Carolina, and $1.348 billion won on January 13, 2023, in Maine. More recently, a $1.13 billion jackpot was claimed on March 29, 2024, in New Jersey.
With the jackpot continuing to climb, the anticipation and excitement surrounding the Mega Millions lottery are sure to grow. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, the chance to win a life-changing amount of money adds a thrilling element to participating in the lottery.