By Todd Northrop
With strong sales around the country, the estimated jackpot for Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing has been raised to $454 million, with a lump-sum cash option of $319 million cash.
It's the third largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the seventh-largest jackpot ever seen in US lottery history.
The jackpot has been growing since it was last won on March 8 by Michael Burkett in Washington, who received a $157 million prize.
The only other jackpot won this year was a $169 million prize in New York; the winner of that January 8 drawing, Nancy Viola, was reported last week by Lottery Post. Her husband, sent to the store to buy a Powerball ticket, accidentally purchased a Mega Millions ticket, which turned out to be the big winner.
So will someone celebrate their independence from financial worries tonight, or will the big prize keep building? We'll find out in the wee hours of the morning, after the 11:00 pm drawing.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 44 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.
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 7th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States. That position may rise before the drawing Tuesday night, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.
- Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $636 million, Dec. 17, 2013 - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Mega Millions: $454 million, Jul. 5, 2016 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $429.6 million, May 7, 2016 - New Jersey
- Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 - California
- Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
- Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
- The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
- Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon
- Powerball: $338.3 million, Mar. 23, 2013 - New Jersey
- Powerball: $337 million, Aug. 15, 2012 - Michigan
- Powerball: $336.4 million, Feb. 11, 2012 - Rhode Island
- Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009 - California, New York
- The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002 - Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $330 million, Aug. 31, 2007 - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
- Mega Millions: $321 million, Nov. 4, 2014 - New York
- Mega Millions: $319 million, Mar. 25, 2011 - New York
For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 13
- Mega Millions: 10
- The Big Game: 2
The Big Game is the original name of Mega Millions, from the game's first drawing on Sep. 6, 1996 through May 14, 2002. The name was changed to Mega Millions starting with the May 17, 2002 drawing.
Top 25 cash value jackpots
Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.
Looking at the cash value, the upcoming Mega Millions jackpot ranks as the 7th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
- Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
- Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($636 million annuity) - California, Georgia
- Mega Millions: $319 million cash, Jul. 5, 2016 ($454 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $284 million cash, May 7, 2016 ($429.6 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
- Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $230.9 million cash, Mar. 18, 2014 ($414 million annuity) - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $227.8 million cash, Feb. 19, 2014 ($425.3 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $214 million cash, Aug. 28, 2009 ($336 million annuity) - California, New York
- Powerball: $211 million cash, Mar. 23, 2013 ($338.3 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $210 million cash, Feb. 11, 2012 ($336.4 million annuity) - Rhode Island
- Mega Millions: $202.9 million cash, Mar. 25, 2011 ($319 million annuity) - New York
- Mega Millions: $197.5 million cash, Nov. 4, 2014 ($321 million annuity) - New York
- Powerball: $197.4 million cash, Sep. 30, 2015 ($310.5 million annuity) - Michigan
- Mega Millions: $194.4 million cash, Aug. 31, 2007 ($330 million annuity) - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
- Powerball: $191.9 million cash, Mar. 2, 2016 ($291.4 million annuity) - Florida
- Mega Millions: $185 million cash, Nov. 15, 2005 ($315 million annuity) - California
- The Big Game: $180 million cash, May 9, 2000 ($363 million annuity) - Illinois, Michigan
The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 13
- Mega Millions: 11
- The Big Game: 1
I hope someone wins
Best of Luck MM Players!
Good Fortune Hunting Lottery Post members. Let's all make this a memorable win by a LP Member.
Make sure you have at least one #5 for date...
21 was in there on the 21st... They cheat mad hard like this...
21 "randomly" comes on 21st ... I don't think so lol
Line at store was at the door earlier...
I want it
29-32-38-51-65 + 07
09-18-47-65-73 + 04
05-22-40-46-62 + 08
08-31-33-40-64 + 02
07-12-28-29-53 + 08
29-49-58-65-75 + 10
02-10-47-49-69 + 10
09-16-19-20-33 + 04
18-32-38-53-67 + 01
05-06-12-57-70 + 07
17-26-36-51-71 + 12
17-18-24-47-48 + 04
10-32-48-58-73 + 14
03-12-28-29-54 + 03
33-42-43-51-62 + 02
31-53-59-62-63 + 03
04-09-35-47-63 + 12
01-39-43-67-68 + 10
12-15-32-57-59 + 07
21-23-26-35-73 + 02
43-50-56-58-66 + 15
24-38-51-53-65 + 11
04-34-42-59-60 + 12
25-40-61-67-72 + 03
06-43-48-50-74 + 03
21-22-30-51-67 + 06
23-35-39-43-63 + 11
06-17-27-60-65 + 13
13-19-28-49-57 + 15
13-16-44-54-73 + 11
01-25-45-53-62 + 10
02-30-33-48-56 + 10
01-28-39-54-61 + 10
29-36-49-70-74 + 10
01-33-43-54-58 + 03
15-34-39-56-60 + 14
04-26-31-47-59 + 02
05-13-45-48-69 + 03
05-10-17-47-62 + 08
03-11-18-51-59 + 14
01-14-31-33-65 + 14
10-31-41-60-66 + 01
06-31-32-52-68 + 07
32-33-67-69-72 + 03
04-14-15-42-63 + 07
29-31-37-46-52 + 09
07-44-45-67-68 + 09
13-15-57-61-62 + 04
05-10-53-55-67 + 03
31-52-57-69-70 + 09
.
Mr. Wander73,
I certainly hope so too, and hope for a single jp winner (3 jp winners, at the most).
For 2nd place, I'd hope for a million such winners, to include every regular and Admin, here on LP,
but my 'real guess' will be 20+ 2nd place winners.
But, the main thing is for someone to win the jp, and stop the thing from rolling over.
I'm going now, to get some extra numbers for tonight's game.
Expect anything to happen.
Mr. Groppo
That's why i always buy my tickets on the day after the previous drawing.
I live in NYS and visited Maryland(one a several states that have winner anonymity) last week where I played 4 lines with the megaplier for 10 multi-draws, so I'm set.
One Ticket!
One Winner!
With 3 top ten all time jackpots through six months this has been a pretty good year so far for MM/PB syndicate.
This lottery crap is bull!! Just checked the cash 4 and I missed by 1 number.Bullsh..it! Everytime I play im off by 1 freaking number.Here in Ga.There is something really strange about this lottery here and I think it needs to be look into.
Good luck to all players!