WASHINGTON — There are two new millionaires in the U.S., but the Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to half a billion dollars with no jackpot winner after Tuesday's drawing.
The latest drawing leaves the lottery game on a winless streak that has lasted since early June. The jackpot for the next drawing, on Friday, Aug. 23, is now listed at $527 million, with a cash option of $261.9 million.
One person in Arizona matched all five white ball numbers, making their ticket worth $1 million. Another ticket in Delaware matched the same five, but the player bought the pricier "Megaplier" option, meaning their ticket will earn them $4 million.
Mega Millions' most recent jackpot winner was an anonymous player in Illinois who won a $552 million jackpot ($260.2 million cash) on June 4. Huge jackpot wins have been the norm in 2024: A ticket sold in New Jersey hit a $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot in March, and a Powerball ticket in Oregon won a jackpot worth more than $1.3 billion in April.
The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 302,575,350.
Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, August 20, 2024
The winning numbers for Tuesday, Aug. 20 were 5-20-26-49-51, Mega Ball 24, and 4x Megaplier.
When a winner matches all five numbers and the Mega Ball, they have the option to take the full jackpot paid out as an annuity over 30 years, or a smaller lump sum cash payout. Winners almost always take the cash option, which was $228.5 million for Friday's drawing.
Players who match only the first five numbers win at least $1 million.
What time is the Mega Millions drawing?
Mega Millions drawings take place on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
What are the largest US lottery jackpots ever won?
- $2.04 billion: Powerball - Nov. 7, 2022
- $1.76 billion – Powerball - Oct. 11, 2023
- $1.586 billion: Powerball – Jan. 13, 2016
- $1.58 billion: Mega Millions – Aug. 8, 2023
- $1.537 billion: Mega Millions – Oct. 23, 2018
- $1.35 billion: Mega Millions - Jan. 13, 2023
- $1.337 billion: Mega Millions - July 29, 2022
- $1.326 billion: Powerball – April, 6, 2024
- $1.13 billion: Mega Millions - March 26, 2024
- $1.08 billion: Powerball – July 19, 2023
