The Mega Millions jackpot has inched just short of $1 billion, offering an estimated $977 million top prize in Friday night’s drawing. Friday’s jackpot would be the lottery’s sixth largest. Mega Millions’ five largest jackpots all exceeded $1 billion, the lottery said.
The drawing will take place at 11 p.m. ET Friday. The jackpot has a lump-sum option of an estimated $413.5 million. The jackpot has been growing since December 8, when two tickets in California claimed a $394 million prize.
Though 29 consecutive drawings have passed with no grand prize winner, lower-tier prizes have been won in that span, including 37 prizes of $1 million or more, according to Mega Millions.
The overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24, but the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, according to Mega Millions.
— CutC by bbc.com
