Mega Millions Soars to Third-Highest Jackpot in Game's History

Deputy Night Editor

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The Mega Millions jackpot quickly, and quietly, crept above $1 billion during this cycle of the game over the weekend. A recent holiday surge didn't hurt. The Mega Millions lottery is now at $1.1 billion, the third-largest drawing in the game's history.

There was no winning ticket from Friday's (01/06/2023) jackpot for the $940 million drawing. The Mega Millions jackpot for 01/10/23 is $1.1 billion, and the drawing will be held at 11 p.m. ET Tuesday.

Here are the winning numbers from Friday night's drawing.

First Five: 03-20-46-59-63
Mega Ball: 13
Megaplier: 3x

There was no grand prize winner on Friday but there were five tickets sold that matched the first five white balls, and minus the gold Mega Ball, for the game's second prize of $1 million. Two of those tickets were sold in New York while the other three were sold (one each) in Florida, Maryland and New Jersey.

The drawing for Tuesday 01/10/2023 will be the third-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history if it is won. Ohio Lottery Director Pat McDonald, who's the Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium, warns players to still stay within their personal budgets while aiming for a $1 billion prize.

"Mega Millions has just reached the $1 billion mark again. It's especially nice to see the jackpot grow throughout the holidays and into the new year," McDonald said. "We are thankful for the support of our customers and retailers, which allows each of our 47 member lotteries to generate funds for good causes within their jurisdiction. As the jackpot grows, we encourage our players to keep within their entertainment budget and enjoy this jackpot run right along with us."

Here are the top 10 Mega Millions Jackpots to date:

Amount/Date/Winning Tickets

$1.537 billion 10/23/2018 1-SC
$1.337 billion 07/29/2022 1-CA, 1-FL
$1.1 billion – CURRENT JACKPOT
$1.05 billion 01/22/2021 1-MI
$656 million 3/30/2012 1-IL, 1-KS, 1-MD
$648 million 12/17/2013 1-CA, 1-GA
$543 million 7/24/2018 1-CA
$536 million 7/8/2016 1-IN
$533 million 3/30/2018 1-NJ
$522 million 6/07/2019 1-CA

"There have been a total of more than 27.1 million winning tickets sold in the 24 drawings since the jackpot was last won on October 14. These include 52 worth $1 million or more, won in 20 different states from coast to coast: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia," Mega Millions stated on its website.

Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery every Tuesday and Friday night, and it is one of America's two biggest lottery jackpot games. Mega Millions jackpots start at $20 million, and other prizes pay from $1 million to $2 million or more with a Megaplier. Tickets are $2 per line, and odds of winning with a $2 Mega Millions ticket are one in 303 million. For more information on Mega Millions, or to check your past numbers, visit its website.

Powerball is the other multi-state lottery, and it also starts at $20 million. Its drawings take place at 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nights. Here is the Powerball website for more information, or to check past winning numbers.