California lottery ticket. (Photo by Alexander Nguyen/Times of San Diego)
If you didn’t hit the jackpot Friday night, you’re not alone — no one did. The Mega Millions drawing came and went without a single ticket matching all six numbers, sending Tuesday’s prize soaring to an eye-popping $800 million — the 16th-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.
Friday’s lucky (or not-so-lucky) numbers were 2, 24, 52, 66, 68 and the Mega number 9. The pot had already reached $754 million, but since no one snagged the big one — or even all five numbers without the Mega — it’s rolling over yet again.
This marks the 36th drawing since someone last matched every number, which makes Tuesday night’s drawing one to watch.
For those wondering just how tough it is to strike it rich, the odds of hitting all five numbers plus the Mega are a mind-boggling 1 in 290,472,336. Your overall chance of winning anything? About 1 in 23 — not bad for dreamers.
If the stars align on Tuesday, the winner would claim the ninth-largest Mega Millions prize ever. The game first launched in 1996 as The Big Game before rebranding to Mega Millions in 2002, and is now played in 45 states, plus D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
And in case you’re keeping score, Powerball still holds seven of the top spots for the biggest jackpots ever, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.
So, check those tickets — and maybe grab a new one. You never know.
–City News Service contributed to this report
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