Mega Millions Winning Numbers For Feb. 22: $224 Million

Things are getting serious in the Mega Millions drawing. The Mega Millions jackpot winning numbers for Friday, Feb. 22, are worth $224 million. The cash option is worth an estimated $136.1 million. The winning numbers are 18-24-31-34-55 with a Megaball of 4.

The winning numbers for Tuesday, Feb. 19, were 17-24-34-56-65 with a Megaball of 13. A ticket was sold in Tennessee that had all five numbers but missed the Megaball, though it did hit the 2x Megaplier, meaning someone won $2 million.

Winners this week finally came forth for the last time the Mega Millions was won. A group of Long Island co-workers claimed the $437 million jackpot - the largest prize in New York Lottery history and the eighth highest in the game's history. They took the single lump sum payment of $262,213,914, receiving a net of $176,155,308 after state and federal withholding.

That drawing was on Jan. 1, and it has been growing since then. Friday night's drawing is the 15th since the jackpot was won.

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The odds of picking the correct numbers on five white balls and one yellow ball (the Mega Ball) are one in 302.6 million. No matter how many people play Mega Millions, the chances of winning never change. The chances of winning are based on the number combinations not the number of players buying tickets.

The Megaplier add-on, which costs an extra dollar, increases non-jackpot prizes by two to five times.

Players pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers – five different numbers from 1 to 70 and one number from 1 to 25 (the Mega Ball number.) Players can also use an easy pick feature, where a computer selects random numbers for them. To win the jackpot, a player much match all six numbers.

Players who match some of the numbers could still win some money. Here is the payout schedule for lesser prizes, not including the Megaplier, which is different for each game:

• 5 + 0 = $1 million (five numbers but not the Mega Ball)
• 4 + 1 = $10,000 (four numbers and the Mega Ball)
• 4+ 0 = $500 (four numbers without the Mega Ball)
• 3 + 1 = $200 (three numbers and the Mega Ball)
• 3 + 0 = $10 (three numbers but not the Mega Ball)
• 2 + 1 = $10 (two numbers and the Mega Ball)
• 1 + 1 = $4 (one number and the Mega Ball)
• 0 + 1 = $2 (just the Mega Ball)

Mega Millions tickets are $2 each and can be played in 44 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lottery hopefuls had until 10:45 p.m. EST to buy tickets. The drawing is held at 11 p.m. EST in Atlanta.

Photo by Jenna Fisher, Patch