The Mega Millions jackpot will top $300 million for the first time in more than a year, as the twelfth largest prize in the 15-year history of the game will be offered next Tuesday, August 1. No ticket matched all six numbers drawn Friday, July 28 – the white balls 4, 6, 31, 49 and 52, plus the Mega Ball 11 – so the next jackpot will be an estimated $303 million ($186 million cash).
Two tickets matched the five white balls to win the game’s second prize Friday night; they were sold in California and Wisconsin.
Last summer’s $536 million jackpot, won in Indiana on July 8, 2016, was the third largest Mega Millions jackpot ever. The record jackpot was $656 million on March 30, 2012, a prize that was split by three winners, one each in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.
In the game’s history, the jackpot has been won once on August 1 – a $31 million prize won in New York on August 1, 2006. The prize went unclaimed.
The jackpot has been rolling since it was last won on April 28, when David Trapp won a $61 million prize in California. Two other jackpots have also been awarded this year – $191 million to Jack Freney, also in California, and $177 million to Texan Eliberto Cantu with a ticket he purchased in Arkansas.
As this jackpot run progresses, to date there have been more than 36.4 million prizes won at all levels since April 28, including 42 prizes of $1 million or more. Since January 1, more than 78.6 million winning tickets have been sold; 70 of those have been worth $1 million or more.
