The grand jackpot for the Mega Millions lottery has surpassed the billion-dollar mark for the fifth time in its history, growing to an estimated $1.05 billion with a $527.9 million cash prize option ahead of Tuesday night’s drawing. This makes it the fourth-largest Mega Millions jackpot to date. The jackpot has been increasing since April 18, when a $20 million prize was won in Syracuse. The Mega Millions drawings are held twice weekly, and five other jackpots have been won this year, including a $1.348 billion prize in January, marking the second-largest in the game’s history.
The winning numbers for the August 1 drawing were 8, 24, 61, 45, and 30, with a Mega Ball of 12 and a Megaplier of 4X. Mega Millions can be played in 45 out of 50 U.S. states, along with Washington D.C. To play, participants must pick five numbers between 1 and 70, and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. The Megaplier feature, available in most states, can increase non-jackpot prizes by two to five times for an additional $1 per play.
Among the top 10 Mega Millions jackpots, the record prize was $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in October 2018, followed by prizes won in Maine, Illinois, Michigan, and the estimated prize for August 1, 2023. Other substantial wins include prizes won in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, California, Georgia, Indiana, and New Jersey, ranging from $533 million to $656 million.
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