Mega Millions Jackpot Soars to $965 Million as Players Dream of Historic Win

The Mega Millions jackpot is once again capturing national attention as it climbs to an estimated $965 million ahead of Friday night’s drawing. No player matched all six winning numbers in Tuesday’s draw, extending the streak of rollovers to 40 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner.

Tuesday’s winning numbers were 10, 13, 40, 42, 46, and the gold Mega Ball 1. While no ticket hit the top prize, three lucky players still struck it big, claiming second-tier winnings worth between $3 million and $5 million thanks to multiplier options.

According to lottery officials, the estimated cash value for Friday’s jackpot stands at $445.3 million before taxes. This makes it the eighth-largest Mega Millions prize since the lottery’s launch in 2002, continuing a trend of massive payouts that have made headlines across the country.

Each Mega Millions ticket costs $5 and includes multiplier options ranging from 2x to 10x, which can significantly boost non-jackpot prizes. The odds of winning the top prize are steep at roughly 1 in 290 million, but millions of Americans continue to play, drawn by the life-changing potential of the jackpot.

Mega Millions is available in 45 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, making it the nation’s most widely played multistate lottery. Since its creation, the game has produced seven jackpots exceeding $1 billion. The largest ever Mega Millions prize was $1.6 billion, claimed by an anonymous winner in Florida in 2023.

Beyond the excitement, the lottery provides significant funding for education and public programs across the United States. In Georgia alone, lottery proceeds have contributed more than $29 billion to educational initiatives since the program began.

Players have until Friday evening to purchase their tickets before the drawing. While the odds remain astronomical, each rollover fuels dreams of becoming America’s next multimillionaire.