Mega Millions is over $1 billion! Could you wind the jackpot?

• The Mega Millions jackpot exceeds one billion dollars.
• It becomes the fourth largest lottery prize in the United States.
• Could you win the jackpot?

The jackpot that everyone covets continues to grow. The huge Mega Millions lottery jackpot soared to $1.02 billion after no one matched all six numbers in the winning draw on Tuesday July 26.

The new estimated jackpot will be the fourth largest lottery prize in the country. The jackpot is very high because none of the tickets sold for the last 29 drawings, since April 15, had all six winning numbers, the AP news agency explained on Wednesday.

The Mega Millions jackpot grows

Tuesday’s winning numbers were: 07-29-60-63-66, Mega Ball: 15. The $1.02 billion prize goes to winners who choose the annual payment option of 30 years. But most opt ​​for the cash option, which for Friday’s drawing will now have an estimated prize of $602.5 million, according to the AP.

The probability of winning the jackpot is one in 302.5 million. Mega Millions is played in 45 states in addition to Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands, and is coordinated by the state lotteries.

The winner

Previously, the AP had reported that the chances of you winning the $830 million Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday night were steadily increasing, but you most likely weren’t going to take it home. There’s a logical explanation for this.

Even though the fourth-biggest jackpot in lottery history had sparked an increase in ticket sales, which translated into the possibility of more number combinations being covered, the odds of your winning remained the same — one in 302.5 million.

What are the odds of winning the Mega Millions?

Domestic Mega Millions sales rose from $116 million for the July 19 drawing to $172.1 million for the July 22 drawing, according to Marie Kilbane, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Lottery Commission. And with all eyes on Tuesday’s huge jackpot, lottery officials were expecting sales to hit $262.1 million.

The additional ticket purchases mean that while 23% of all number combinations were covered for the July 22 drawing, about 33% would be covered for Tuesday’s draw. And sales are likely to increase now that there has still not been a winner. Kilbane had said the purse could top $1 billion by the draw on Friday, July 29, as it eventually did.

When will the next draw be?

The last time someone beat the odds and won the Mega Millions jackpot was on April 15, when a person from Tennessee matched all six numbers and won a $20 million jackpot. Since then there have been 28 consecutive draws without anyone winning the jackpot, so it has increased every week.

Although theoretically someone could buy all 302.5 million possible number combinations, in practice that would be nearly impossible, according to the AP. The next Mega Millions drawing will be at 11:00 PM ET on Friday, July 29.