The same week that a Maryland couple won a $730 million Powerball jackpot, Americans have a shot at $1 billion worth of Mega Millions prize money.
A winner of Friday’s jackpot, if he or she took the cash option, would receive $739.6 million – before taxes.
In 2020, overall, there were five Mega Millions winners, according to game officials.
Here are some facts about the game and the massive jackpot.
Historically high
Friday’s drawing marks just the third time ever that a lottery jackpot has reached the $1 billion mark.
Two other jackpot prizes exceed $1.5 billion, including one Powerball jackpot of $1.586 billion that was won in January 2016 (three winners) and the current Mega Millions record of $1.537 billion, which was won on a single ticket in October 2018.
Record run
The massive jackpot prize has been building since Sept. 15, 2020, the last time a winner was drawn. That comprises 37 drawings and marks the longest jackpot run ever for the game.
Odds of winning
The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24 and the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350.
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