The jackpot for Friday's Mega Millions drawing grew quickly Thursday, with lottery officials saying the prize had reached $540 million, making it the largest jackpot in world history.
According to the California Lottery, a cash payout for a single jackpot
winner would be $389.8 million. If a winner chooses the annual payment option, it would be $20.7 million a year for 26 years–before taxes.
The retailer who sells the winning ticket will receive a bonus of $1
million.
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Lottery fever has gripped Southern California and hopeful players across
the country. For Tuesday's drawing, which had a jackpot of $363 million, the
California Lottery's website registered 1 million hits between 8 and 9 p.m.,
with people trying to find the winning numbers.
There have been 18 Mega Millions draws without a jackpot winner, leading
to Friday's record-breaking prize.
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The previous largest Mega Millions jackpot was $390 million for the
March 6, 2007, drawing. The Jan. 4, 2011, drawing had a $380 million jackpot.
The numbers drawn Tuesday were 9, 19, 34, 44, 51 and the Mega number was 24.
There were 47 tickets sold with five numbers, but missing the Mega
number, including nine in California. The ones sold in California are each
worth $308,573, while the other 38 are each worth $250,000, a California
Lottery official announced.
California law requires most major payoffs of lottery games in the state
to be paid on a pari-mutuel basis.
The odds of matching all five numbers and the Mega number is 1 in
175,711,536, according to the Mega Millions website. The overall chance of
winning a prize is 1 in 40.
The Mega Millions game is played in 41 states, the District of Columbia
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.