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The Mega Millions jackpot on Friday night was worth $30 million with a cash option of $21.2 million.
The winning numbers were 14, 36, 44, 46, and 53, and the Mega Ball number was 18 and the Megaplier was 2X, but did anyone win last night?
Nobody matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball, so the jackpot has rolled over to Tuesday's drawing—where it will be worth $40 million with a cash option of $28.2 million.
There was also no one who managed to match all five numbers for the $1 million prize.
However, there were six people who won $10,000 each by matching four numbers and the Mega Ball, although none of those players increased their winnings with the Megaplier.
There were 213 players who won $500 by matching four numbers and 49 players doubled their prize to $1,000 with the Megaplier.
A further 613 players won $200 by matching three numbers and the Powerball and 154 players won $400 using the Megaplier. Over 370,000 tickets won prizes of least $2.
There have been a couple of big winners of the Mega Millions lottery recently, with a $516 million jackpot being won in Pennsylvania last month, the ninth-largest prize in the lottery's history.
The jackpot was hit again earlier this month when a single ticket in Illinois won a prize of $55 million ($38 million cash)
How Does Mega Millions work?
Mega Millions is among the popular multi-state lotteries in the country since its launch on August 31, 1996, as "The Big Game."
People in 45 states can buy tickets and they are also sold in the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are five states which do not sell lottery tickets; Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
To take part, purchase a ticket from a licensed lottery retailer for $2 with the option of adding the Megaplier to your ticket for an additional $1.
Players need to pick five numbers ranging from 1 to 70 for the white balls and select one number from 1 to 25 for the gold numbers. Alternatively, they can use the Easy Pick or Quick Pick option to have the numbers randomly selected.
A player who wins the lottery has the option of claiming the prize as an annuity or as cash.
An annuity is paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments, with each payment worth five percent more than the previous one, while a cash option is a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.
Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at WSB-TV in Atlanta where five white balls are drawn from a set numbered 1 through 70, and there is one gold Mega Ball which is drawn from a set numbered 1 through 25.
With nine different ways to win a prize, the chances of winning at least $2 are 1 in 24, according to the Mega Millions website.
Those who do have a winning ticket have between 90 days and one year to redeem their ticket, depending on local rules and regulations.
Those lucky enough to take out the jackpot can either receive a cash option or take the annuity option of an initial payout which is followed by 29 annual payments that are each five percent larger than the previous ones.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more