The Mega Millions jackpot for the upcoming Tuesday drawing is now estimated to be at a whopping $800 million, with a cash option of $401.8 million, as no one managed to match all the winning numbers from Friday night’s drawing. The last time the jackpot was won was in Illinois on June 4, where the lucky ticket holder walked away with $552 million in winnings.
Throughout this year so far, there have only been two Mega Millions jackpots claimed. Prior to the Illinois win, a remarkable $1.1 billion jackpot was won in New Jersey back in March, although the prize still remains unclaimed. Winners in New Jersey have a deadline of one year to come forward and claim their prize money.
With tickets sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mega Millions drawings occur at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. Each ticket can be purchased for $2, with half of the proceeds from each ticket sold remaining in the state where the purchase was made.
The odds of hitting the jackpot stand at slightly more than 302 million to one, while the overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24. The largest Mega Millions jackpot to date was a staggering $1.6 billion, won by a lucky ticket holder in Florida in August of the previous year.
