There was a top prize of $60 million and a cash option of $41.4 million up for grabs, but did anyone take home the big one? No ticket matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball to win the big prize, so the jackpot gets even bigger. No one matched all five numbers to take the $1 million prize.
There were two tickets that matched four numbers and the Mega Ball for the $10,000 prize. One ticket holder quintupled their prize to $50,000 by playing the Megaplier to make them the night’s biggest winner.
There were 223 players who won $500 by matching four numbers, 45 of whom increased their winnings to $2,500 with the Megaplier.
Some 734 players won $200 by matching three numbers and the Mega Ball, with 146 players winning $1,000 by using the Megaplier. Over 414,000 tickets won prizes of at least $2.
The jackpot will now grow to $73 million for Tuesday’s drawing with a cash option of $50.4 million.
Although there were no big winners on Friday, September saw one ticket holder in New York win a $431 million prize ($314.4 million cash). That was the state’s second Mega Millions jackpot this year, following a $96 million prize won in Oneida County on February 16.
Other jackpots won in 2021 included $516 million in Pennsylvania on May 21, and a $55 million prize was won in Illinois on June 8. The second-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history, $1.05 billion, was won by a group in Michigan on January 22.
How Does Mega Millions work?
Players can buy tickets in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lottery tickets are not available in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
Each ticket costs $2 and for an extra $1, you can get the Megaplier. The jackpot starts at $20 million and grows each time it is not won. The smaller prizes range from $2 to $1 million.
Players choose five numbers between 1 to 70 for the white balls. One number between 1 and 25 for the gold numbers is chosen. Easy Pick or Quick Pick options give players a random selection.
The drawings are held on Tuesday and Friday at WSB-TV in Atlanta. The process involves five white balls being taken from a set numbered 1 through 70. One gold Mega Ball is also drawn from a set numbered 1 through to 25.
The winner of the top prize can claim it either as an annuity or as cash. This means a lump sum followed by 29 payments per year which increase each time. The cash option is a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.
