BOSTON — The Mega Millions jackpot has risen to an estimated $800 million with a cash option of $401.8 million for Tuesday’s drawing after no one matched all the winning numbers for Friday night’s drawing.
The jackpot was last won in Illinois on June 4 with a ticket worth $552 million.
Only two Mega Millions jackpots have been won so far this year. Before the Illinois winning ticket, a $1.1 billion winning ticket was purchased in New Jersey in March. That price is still out. New Jersey winners have one year to claim their winnings.
Tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington and the US Virgin Islands. Drawings are carried out at 11pm Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. Tickets are $2 each. Half of the proceeds from the sale of each Mega Millions ticket remains in the state where the ticket was sold.
The odds of winning the jackpot are one in more than 302 million. The overall odds of winning a Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24.
The top Mega Millions jackpot ticket – $1.6 billion – was sold in Florida last August.