STREET. LOUIS — Mega Millions has upped the ante by another $100 million.
The lack of a jackpot winner in the lottery game’s latest draw on Friday night caused the jackpot to skyrocket to an estimated $820 million.
The numbers drawn on Friday night were: 29, 40, 47, 50, 57 and Golden Mega Ball 25. No tickets were sold that hit all of those numbers for the estimated $720 million grand prize.
The estimated $820 million in the upcoming Tuesday night drawing will only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Almost all grand prize winners opt to receive a cash payment, which for Tuesday’s drawing is estimated at $422 million.
The potential jackpot is the fifth largest in the game’s history, Mega Millions said in a statement early Saturday.
Despite the game’s huge odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to buy tickets as the size of the jackpot grows.
The last time a Mega Millions player won the top prize was April 18.
Friday’s drawing resulted in eight tickets matching five white balls for a $1 million prize. Two were sold in Florida, New Jersey and North Carolina, one in California and one in Michigan, Mega Millions said.
The Powerball jackpot was also approaching near-record levels before a small neighborhood store in downtown Los Angeles sold the winning ticket for Wednesday’s drawing, with an estimated value $1.08 billion.
Mega Millions is played in 45 statesWashington, DC and the US Virgin Islands.