Mega Millions jackpot climbs to historic amount; $1 million ticket sold in Texas

The current Mega Millions jackpot is estimated at $1.55 billion dollars, which would make it the largest in the game’s nearly three-decade history.

(NEXSTAR) – The current Mega Millions jackpot is estimated at $1.55 billion dollars, which would make it the largest in the game’s nearly three-decade history.

For now, though, that figure is only an estimate: Officials say there’s a slight possibility Tuesday’s jackpot could fall short of the record (a $1.537 billion jackpot awarded in 2018), but it doesn’t look likely.

“With enthusiastic players across the country, many of whom are newcomers to the game, it is indeed likely that there will be a new record Mega Millions jackpot,” reads a press release issued by Mega Millions. “However, we won’t know for sure until we get closer to Tuesday’s drawing; at this level, jackpots are hard to predict with complete accuracy.”

Friday night’s winning numbers — 11, 30, 45, 52, 56, and the Mega Ball 20 — went unmatched once again, continuing a months-long trend that began after the last jackpot winner was announced on April 18.

The current jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.55 billion, with a cash option of $757.2 million.

The jackpot has steadily grown since April after a ticketholder in New York matched all six numbers to win a $20-million prize. (The previous jackpot, awarded days before on April 14, was worth $483 million.) But during that time, a total of 62 second-tier prizes worth at least $1 million have been won, according to Mega Millions.

Friday night’s drawing produced nine of those second-tier winners: one each in Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma and Texas, and two in Tennessee. The winning ticket in Michigan, and one of the winning tickets in Tennessee, are worth $2 million each; both ticketholders purchased the optional Megaplier for an extra $1.

The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 8.