Mega Millions lottery jackpot nears $1 billion; you still have time to buy a ticket

Published 9:01 am Friday, January 6, 2023

Lottery players whose numbers didn’t hit or who forgot to even buy a ticket will have another shot at a nearly $1 billion Mega Millions prize when a drawing is held Friday night.

The estimated $940 million jackpot has been growing for more than two months and now ranks as the sixth-largest in U.S history.

Even as the prize grows larger, the odds of winning remain the same at one in 302.6 million.

The $940 million jackpot is for winners who choose an annuity, paid annually over 29 years. Winners usually want cash, which for Friday night’s drawing would be an estimated $483.5 million.

If there is no winner, the next drawing will be held Tuesday night.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.