Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $1.6 billion after no one wins latest drawing​

FAN Editor

DES MOINES, Iowa — No one won the latest Mega Millions drawing, meaning the jackpot is now a staggering $1.6 billion. Mega Millions officials say no tickets matched all six numbers to claim the estimated $1 billion grand prize in Friday night’s drawing

The numbers were 15, 23, 53, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 7. The next drawing will be Tuesday.

With the jackpot currently tied with the record-setting lottery jackpot and bound to grow before the next drawing, it is bound to become the largest prize in U.S. history.

The jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of California office workers won $543 million.

Odds of winning

Mega Millions is played in 44 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  

It costs $2 to play the game, but the odds of winning the jackpot aren’t good. The chance of matching all six numbers and taking home the grand prize is one in 302.5 million. 

Who buys lotto tickets?

About two-thirds of Americans gamble. Last year, they spent $72.97 billion on traditional lottery tickets, according to Gallup.

On average, that’s $206.69 per person. “Our obsession with lotteries, with gambling, is that unicorn feeling of, like, ‘maybe it’ll be me,'” CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger said. She points out that some people don’t necessarily play to win.

“They just want to take a moment out of their day to consider how to dream big,” Schlesinger said.

The average American spends about $223 per year on lottery tickets, according to a survey from LENDedu. Massachusetts residents have the biggest taste for playing the odds, spending almost $763 per year on lottery tickets, the study found. North Dakotans are on the opposite end of the spectrum, spending about $44 per year on the lottery, or the lowest average figure among residents of all 50 states.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Free America Network Articles

Leave a Reply

Next Post

The 6 Biggest Marijuana Deals in History

The legal marijuana industry is budding before our eyes, with the biggest achievement in its existence coming this past Wednesday when recreational cannabis was officially legalized. Depending on the province, adults age 18 or 19 and over are free to purchase up to 30 grams of dried flower. Now that […]