Mega Millions July 23 Jackpot Jumps To $512 Million

The fifth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history is waiting to be collected. The lottery game hasn't been won since May 4, and the jackpot has risen to $512 million. If the jackpot is won on Tuesday, the winner could collect $303 million, in cash.

The jackpot started Monday at an estimated $493 million. By noon, the jackpot had grown to $512 million. It could be even higher by Tuesday night's drawing.

The Mega Millions jackpot was last won in Ohio when the ABC XYZ Trust collected $142 million on May 4, 2018. The lottery game has awarded two other jackpots in 2018 — $451 million on January 5 and $533 million on March 30, the latter being the fourth largest jackpot in the history of the game.

The winning Mega Millions numbers for Friday, July 20, were 1, 14, 30, 44, and 62, and the gold Mega ball was 1. The Megaplier was 2.

While nobody won the latest jackpot, that doesn't mean other winning tickets haven't been sold. On Friday night alone, 1,801,687 winning tickets were sold, claiming prizes at various levels. Since May 4, 26 tickets have been sold that were worth $1 million or more, the Mega Millions group said.

The largest jackpot in Mega Millions history was worth $656 million. That prize was shared by winners in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland, and was claimed on March 30, 2012. The second largest jackpot in the game's history was worth $648 million and was split by winners in California and Georgia.

The largest Mega Millions jackpots in history:

• $656 million, 3/30/2012
• $648 million, 12/17/2013
• $536 million, 7/8/2016
• $533 million, 3/30/2018
• $503 million(est), 7/24/2018 (if won on Tuesday)
• $451 million, 1/5/2018
• $414 million, 3/18/2014
• $393 million, 8/11/2017
• $390 million, 3/6/2007
• $380 million, 1/4/2011

After a jackpot is won, it automatically resets to $40 million and grows with each lottery where there is not a winning jackpot ticket sold.

A single play costs $2. 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.

The odds of picking the correct numbers on five white balls and one yellow ball are one in 259 million. No matter how many people play Mega Millions, the chances of winning never change. The chances of winning are based on the amount of number combinations, not the number of players buying tickets, say lottery officials.

Mega Millions is played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings take place at 11 p.m. ET each Tuesday and Friday.

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