The jackpot for Friday's Mega Millions jackpot was raised late Wednesday morning to an even $500 million. That's a half-billion with a "b."
After no players matched all six numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing, the top prize for Friday’s game initially climbed to $476 million, easily eclipsing the previous record for a U.S. lottery of $390 million. But brisk ticket sales prompted lottery officials to boost the prize to a half-billion dollars.
The previous record $390 million jackpot was a 2007 Mega Millions prize shared by two winners in Georgia and New Jersey.
In January, 2011, lottery players in Idaho and Washington state split a $380 million Mega Millions jackpot, and in 2006, a player in Nebraska took home a $365 million Power Ball prize.
The Mega Millions numbers drawn Tuesday night were 9, 19, 34, 44 and 51, and the Mega Ball was 24.
The cash option payout for Friday’s drawing is an estimated $359 million. A single winner choosing the annuity would receive $19.2 million a year for 26 years.
The jackpot for tonight’s Power Ball multi-state lottery is $50 million.
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