Mega Millions: Winning Numbers In Historic $1.6 Billion Jackpot

The winning numbers for the Mega Millions Jackpot drawing on Tuesday, Oct. 23 are:

28, 70, 5, 62, 65 and the Mega is 5.

Can you feel it? Lottery fever is in the air and it's sweeping the nation (well 44 states where the game is played) as the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to a whopping $1.6 billion — with a cash payout option now valued at nearly $905 million.

Tuesday's jackpot, set to become the largest amount in U.S. history if someone wins, is approximately 2.5 times greater than the previous largest Mega Millions jackpot on record. Lottery officials say that record was just $656 million, which was shared between three winners in Kansas, Illinois and Maryland back in 2012.

And remember that massive Powerball jackpot from 2016? This exceeds the $1.586 billion that winners in California, Florida and Tennessee split.

"Mega Millions has already entered historic territory, but it’s truly astounding to think that now the jackpot has reached an all-time world record," said Gordon Medenica, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Group and Director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming. "It’s hard to overstate how exciting this is – but now it’s really getting fun."

California Mega Millions sales skyrocket

The thought of winning the mega jackpot undoubtedly is exciting, and as the buzz continued to grow Tuesday — ticket sales skyrocketed.

As of 1:15 p.m., sales in California for the Mega Millions game already totaled $70.7 million, according to officials with the California Lottery. And during the lunch-hour sales peak, between 12:45 p.m. and 1 p.m., California stores sold $1.3 million in tickets alone. That breaks down to a whopping $85,000 in tickets sold per minute, or more than 700 tickets sold per second.

"With our peak selling time still to come later today, we should easily surpass $100 million in [Mega Millions] sales for tonight’s draw," officials with the California Lottery told Patch in an email.

Lottery officials tell Patch that Tuesday's drawing has certainly been the talk of the town; but also caution players to keep it fun.

"When jackpots get this large you bring a lot more of the causal ticket players and you get a lot of office pools going," California Lottery Spokesman Greg Parashak said. "But one of the biggest things that we like to stress that you play responsibly and play within your means."

Parashak couldn't provide an exact figure of how much of the jackpot would go to California if someone wins in the Golden State, but it's sure to be a sizable sum.

"Obviously, we're hoping someone in the state of California will win," he joked.

What time is the Mega Millions drawing?

Here in California, if you're playing the game — or just curious to see if you cousin's best friend's uncle wins that jackpot — you'll want to be on the lookout for the winning numbers at 8 p.m.

How much are Mega Millions tickets?

Tickets cost $2 to purchase. Ticket sales close at 7:45 p.m.

Where to buy a Mega Millions ticket

If you are indeed buying a ticket or two (or 20? We don't judge), you may want to do so at a store with a "lucky" history.

The California Lottery has compiled a listing of stores throughout the state that have paid out big in the last year, dubbing them "lucky retailers."

Click here to search for all California Lottery retailers. Click on 'lucky retailers' if you want to buy your ticket from a spot that paid out large amounts of prizes to players in the last calendar year.

Mega Millions results for Tuesday, Oct. 23

Be sure to check back here for the winning numbers as soon as they are announced at 8 p.m.! We will update this story with the numbers and let you know if anyone struck gold!

If no one wins on Tuesday, then the jackpot will roll over once again to Friday.

SEE ALSO:

• How Much California Spends On Lottery And Why We Shouldn't

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Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone