WASHINGTON — Two nights after someone in Vermont won a $366 million Powerball jackpot, Mega Millions players were hoping to hit it big Friday with a $360 million jackpot on the line. While no one won the jackpot, there were big winners in three states.
The winning numbers from Friday night's Mega Millions drawing were 1-27-29-38-62 plus the gold Mega Ball 12. The lump sum cash option was $199.3 million.
Three tickets sold in Arkansas, Georgia and Pennsylvania matched five, winning $1 million each.
Friday's drawing featured the largest Mega Millions jackpot since late January. It's grown even larger for Tuesday's drawing, to an estimated $370 million. According to the Mega Millions website, the cash option Tuesday will be $213.3 million.
The jackpot was last won at $20 million on April 15.
While the prize money is certainly life changing, it's far from breaking lottery records and it isn't the largest of the year. Back in January, a California woman was the sole winner of a $426 million Mega Millions jackpot. Last year, a Mega Millions jackpot cracked the $1 billion mark for just the second time. A four-member suburban Detroit lottery club won that $1.05 billion jackpot and chose the lump sump, receiving $557 million after taxes.
As for this week's big Powerball jackpot, the winning ticket from Wednesday night's drawing was sold at a Jolley Short Stop convenience store, according to the Vermont Lottery. It was the first time in Powerball history that a jackpot-winning ticket had been sold in the state. The winner, who has yet to come forward to claim their prize, can either take the full sum in increments or opt for the lump sum of $208.4 million.
The next Mega Millions drawing is on Tuesday, July 5.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
