Columbia, S.C. – July 1, 2016 – Mega Millions is ready to celebrate America’s birthday with fireworks, starting this holiday weekend with its third-largest jackpot ever at an estimated $415 million. No ticket matched all six numbers during the Tuesday, June 28, drawing and as a result, this jackpot has grown to become the tenth largest U.S. jackpot of all time.
The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are slightly higher than those of Powerball. Mega Millions players have a 1 in 259 million chance of matching all six numbers to claim the top prize while Powerball players have a 1 in 292 million chance.
The history of the game shows that 4th of July weekend is a lucky time for Mega Millions players. Since Mega Millions began in 2002, there have been four jackpots won around America’s birthday.
• July 2, 2004 - $294 million won in Massachusetts
• July 1, 2011 - $107 million won in Virginia
• July 3, 2012 - $85 million won in New York
• July 5, 2013 - $79 million won in Michigan
The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since the jackpot was last won on March 8 by a ticket in Washington. Since then, there have been 46 Match 5 winning tickets worth $1 million or more and a total of 56.2 million winning tickets at all prize levels. Mega Millions' largest jackpot in history was a $656 million prize awarded in March 2012, which was won by three tickets purchased in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland. Earlier this year, Powerball made history when its jackpot reached a record high of $1.59 billion in January.
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About Mega Millions
Mega Millions drawings take place on Tuesday and Friday evenings at 11 p.m. Eastern Time, 10 p.m. Central Time, 8 p.m. Pacific Time. Tickets cost $1. Jackpots start at $15 million and grow until they are won. Other prizes range from $1 to $1 million (and up to $5 million with the optional Megaplier). The game is currently played in 46 jurisdictions including 44 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit www.megamillions.com.
The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are slightly higher than those of Powerball. Mega Millions players have a 1 in 259 million chance of matching all six numbers to claim the top prize while Powerball players have a 1 in 292 million chance.
The history of the game shows that 4th of July weekend is a lucky time for Mega Millions players. Since Mega Millions began in 2002, there have been four jackpots won around America’s birthday.
• July 2, 2004 - $294 million won in Massachusetts
• July 1, 2011 - $107 million won in Virginia
• July 3, 2012 - $85 million won in New York
• July 5, 2013 - $79 million won in Michigan
The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since the jackpot was last won on March 8 by a ticket in Washington. Since then, there have been 46 Match 5 winning tickets worth $1 million or more and a total of 56.2 million winning tickets at all prize levels. Mega Millions' largest jackpot in history was a $656 million prize awarded in March 2012, which was won by three tickets purchased in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland. Earlier this year, Powerball made history when its jackpot reached a record high of $1.59 billion in January.
# # #
About Mega Millions
Mega Millions drawings take place on Tuesday and Friday evenings at 11 p.m. Eastern Time, 10 p.m. Central Time, 8 p.m. Pacific Time. Tickets cost $1. Jackpots start at $15 million and grow until they are won. Other prizes range from $1 to $1 million (and up to $5 million with the optional Megaplier). The game is currently played in 46 jurisdictions including 44 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit www.megamillions.com.
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