Mega Millions Jackpot Surges Past $500 Million

The Mega Millions jackpot has stormed past the half-a-billion-dollar mark for only the fourth time in the game’s history following another rollover on Tuesday night. The top prize will now be worth an estimated $502 million for the next draw on Friday night.

How has the jackpot got so high?

The jackpot has topped $500 million as a result of 23 consecutive rollovers. The last time it was won was on Friday 5th January, when a player from Florida snapped up $451 million. Shane Missler of Port Richey quickly came forward to claim the money and announced that he would be retiring, at the age of 20, from his job at a company which carries out background checks for employers.

A couple of ticket holders came close to landing the jackpot in the most recent draw on Tuesday 27th March, matching all five white balls without the Mega Ball to pocket $1 million each. The tickets were sold in Illinois and New Jersey.

This is the biggest Mega Millions jackpot to have been offered since a series of changes were made to the game in October 2017. The number matrix was changed, creating better odds in some tiers and bigger prizes in others. The size of the starting jackpot was increased and the ticket prize changed to $2 to help create larger jackpots more quickly.

Will the jackpot be won on Friday?

The next Mega Millions draw on Friday will mark the six-year anniversary of the game’s record jackpot being given away. Three lucky participants, from Illinois, Kansas and Maryland, split $656 million on 30th March 2012.

“Jackpot rolls are always exciting, but surpassing the $500 million mark for only the fourth time is a historic milestone,” said Gordon Medenica, Mega Millions Lead Director and Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director. “Large jackpots like this one capture everyone’s attention, and it would be great to see the roll go on for a while longer. But at the same time, we can’t wait to see someone win.”

Another rollover on Friday would almost certainly push the jackpot into the all-time top three, and it may only be a few draws until a new record is set. Tickets are available at retailers across the participating states, or you can choose numbers online. Good luck!