SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF / AP) – A $ 1 billion Mega Millions jackpot is in play, offering a shot at the third largest lottery prize in US history.
The winning numbers from the Mega Millions draw on Friday night were: 4, 26, 42, 50, 60 and a Mega Ball of 24.
The top Mega Millions award has risen since Sept. 15, when a winning ticket was sold in Wisconsin.
Mega Millions numbers January 22, 2021
The California Lottery Twitter account posted on Friday morning that the jackpot reached the value of 1 billion dollars.
#MegaMillions The jackpot is now $ 1 billion, yes, I said billions. Do you already have the ticket? Tickets should only be purchased during essential shopping trips. #PlayForMillions #PlayItSafe #CALottery pic.twitter.com/NhNdvrTeLO
– California Lottery (@calottery) January 22, 2021
With people rushing to buy last-minute tickets on Friday, the Mega Millions final prize could rise even further. The draw will take place at 20:00 PST on Friday night.
The prize has become so big that it has surpassed the digital lottery display signs that can only display a jackpot of up to $ 999 million.
A steady stream of hopes for the lottery bought tickets to a Hercules gas station on Friday afternoon. Everyone has a dream. One man said he would help Richmond Snoop Dogg Youth Football League. Another player named Rosa said she felt lucky on her birthday.
When asked how many tickets she bought, Rosa replied, “Just one. You only need one to win right? ”
Lottery spokesman Jorge De La Cruz told Zoom that he is looking forward to a historic night.
“If the jackpot is hit, it will be the third largest in US history,” De La Cruz said.
Two weeks ago, a Mega Millions lottery ticket was purchased at a Brentwood gas station worth more than $ 2.3 million, California Lottery officials said.
While the massive $ 731.1 million Powerball prize was won by a single lucky ticket buyer in Maryland earlier this week, Bay Area players still have a chance to cash in on the Mega Millions game.
That winning Powerball ticket was old in Allegany County, located in northwest Maryland, but no additional details were immediately available, the Maryland Lottery said in a statement. Perhaps you never know who receives these riches: in Maryland, the winners have the right to remain anonymous.
The Powerball jackpot was the fifth largest lottery jackpot in the United States ever. The winning numbers for Wednesday night’s Powerball draw were: 40-53-60-68-69 and a Powerball of 22.
This week marked the first time that both lottery jackpots exceeded $ 700 million. The biggest prize for each game was a $ 1.58 billion Powerball jackpot won by three people in 2016.
No one had won any of the jackpots since mid-September, allowing the prizes to rise steadily for months. Such a long stretch without a winner is rare, but it also reflects the incredibly low chances of winning – 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball and 1 in 302.5 million for Mega Millions.
Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in 45 states, as well as in Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands.
© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press and Don Ford of KPIX 5 contributed to this report