Mega Millions Winning Numbers For Jan. 18: $68 Million Jackpot

The winning numbers for Friday, Jan. 18 are 2, 43, 48, 62, 64, with a Mega Ball of 24. The winning numbers worth are $68 million. The estimated cash payout is worth $40.6 million. Check your numbers to see if you're the newest multi-millionaire in town.

The jackpot has grown after two near-winners on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Two $1 million tickets were sold - one in California and one in Iowa - in which five numbers matched but they were missing the Mega Ball. The numbers were 29, 52, 58, 60, 62 with a Mega Ball of 7. The Megaplier was 2x, meaning if those two winners played it, they would have won $2 million - but they didn't. The lottery also said there were five $10,000 prizes won in Friday's drawing, 215 $500 prizes and 655 $200. A tidy 369,008 won $2.

The jackpot hasn't been won since New Year's Day, when a $415 prize was won - the eighth largest in the game's history. It's been slowly growing ever Tuesday and Saturday ever since.

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 by 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