Independence Day celebrations could take on extra meaning tonight, Tuesday, July 4, as the Mega Millions® jackpot hits an estimated $400 million ($205.0 million cash).
The jackpot continues to grow after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Friday night – the white balls 13, 22, 47, 51, and 55, plus the gold Mega Ball 9.
It was just a year ago when July also began with a big Mega Millions jackpot, and the month ended with a whopping $1.3 billion winner last July 29. Can history repeat itself with another exciting July jackpot run?
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While the jackpot grows, the June 30 drawing produced 765,401 winning tickets at all prize levels. One ticket, sold in Texas, matched the five white balls to win the game’s $1 million second-tier prize. Across the country, 23 tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball to win the third-tier prize. Five of those tickets are worth $30,000 each, because they included the optional Megaplier (available in most states with an extra $1 purchase), which was 3X on Friday night. The other 18 third-tier winning tickets are worth $10,000 each.
Since the last jackpot was won in New York on April 18, there have been a total of more than 10.7 million winning tickets at all non-jackpot prize levels, ranging from $2 to $3 million. These include 13 second-tier prizes of $1 million or more, won in 10 different jurisdictions from coast to coast: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas.
In the news: Florida Man Wins $1 Million On 300X The Cash Lottery Scratch-Off
The year started out with six jackpot winners in less than four months – a number far more typical of a full year! The string included the second-largest prize awarded in Mega Millions history, $1.348 billion won in Maine on January 13, plus two jackpots won at $20 million (both in New York on January 17 and April 18).
There were also two jackpots won in Massachusetts ($33 million on January 24 and $31 million on January 31) and a third jackpot in New York ($483 million on April 14).
It was a truly remarkable stretch that shows off the random nature of lottery games – they can be won anytime, anywhere, at any value.
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