Fast Facts About The Giant Mega Millions Jackpot
Jackpot Raised Again, Now At $1.28 Billion
A JPEG image of hand holding Iowa Mega Millions ticket available here.
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CLIVE, Iowa - The giant Mega Millions® jackpot has climbed even higher for Friday's drawing. The latest projection for the game's grand prize was raised Friday morning, with the jackpot now at an estimated $1.28 billion annuity, $747.2 million cash option.
The jackpot is now the second highest in the history of the Mega Millions game and the third largest ever offered in the United States.
When the jackpot reaches this level, it becomes harder to predict the grand-prize estimate heading into the next drawing. Stronger sales mean the jackpot will go even higher, as has occurred in recent days.
The Mega Millions jackpot has reached its current level because it has been growing for a few months. It was last won on April 15 with a ticket purchased in Tennessee.
What's That About 'Coverage'?
By tracking sales, lottery officials can estimate how many of all the possible combinations in the game have been purchased for a particular drawing. The term involved is coverage – how many of the combinations have been “covered.” The coverage estimate for Friday's Mega Millions drawing is about 64 percent. (The odds of winning the jackpot in Mega Millions are about 1 in 302.6 million because that's how many ways the numbers in the game can be combined in a play.)
Remember The Sales Cut-Off Time
The majority of tickets for a particular drawing are purchased on the day of the drawing. So, if you're buying a Mega Millions ticket for Friday's drawing, remember that there is a sales cut-off time for the game's drawings. Here in Iowa, the sales cut-off time is 8:59 p.m. on the night of the drawing. If you buy a ticket after that, you'll still have a valid play, it will just be for a future drawing and you won't be in on that night's big money. The cut-off deadline is an automated procedure and can't be pushed back.
What If I Win?
The Iowa Lottery has produced a video for its biggest winners to provide an overview of the process when someone wins a sizeable prize. The video gives details about the forms required when claiming an Iowa Lottery prize, the cash vs. annuity decision for a jackpot prize, the withholdings involved for lottery prizes, and open records requirements for lottery winners in Iowa. The video is available online for anyone seeking more details about what to expect when you win big: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugXmP-7Qbm8
Reminders About Group Play
When a jackpot reaches into the stratosphere, many lottery players begin to buy tickets in office pools or with family and friends. The Iowa Lottery features group play reminders on its website to help players keep lottery pool play fun and hassle free. Here is a direct link to the reminders: https://ialottery.com/Pages/PlayerSecurity/GroupPlayReminders.aspx
Among the suggestions: Keep an accurate list of everyone who puts in money for a particular drawing and how much they contribute. And, provide everyone in your pool with photos or copies of the group's tickets before the drawing.
Easy Pick vs. Your Own Numbers
The vast majority of tickets purchased in games like Mega Millions and Powerball® are easy-pick plays, meaning that the lottery terminal assigns the numbers printed on the ticket. About 94 percent of the plays purchased in Iowa for Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing were easy picks.
But players also can choose their own numbers. They choose five numbers from a pool of 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from a separate pool of 25.
Neither option is 'luckier'; the odds of winning are the same for every ticket purchased in the game. There are more winners from easy-pick tickets simply because the majority of tickets purchased are easy picks.
A player wins the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a Mega Millions drawing. However, there are a total of nine prize levels in Mega Millions ranging from $2 up to the jackpot, so the Iowa Lottery reminds its players to be sure to check their tickets for all the prizes they may have won.
Please Play Responsibly
And as always, the Iowa Lottery encourages everyone to remember that it only takes one ticket to win. Please play responsibly.
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