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Mega Millions jackpot closing in on $1 billion after no winner

Mega Millions is the only lottery game in the U.S. to produce five winning jackpots over the billion-dollar mark.
Person holds up Mega Millions ticket in front of register
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The Mega Millions jackpot is closing in on the $1 billion mark after no ticket matched all six winning numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing.

The jackpot now stands at an estimated $977 million, which equates to a $461 million cash prize, the company said in a press release.

Mega Millions is the only lottery game in the U.S. to produce five winning jackpots over the billion-dollar mark, and it could soon see its sixth.

The next drawing is set for Friday.

Although there have been 29 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, Mega Millions ticket holders have still won a combined 23.6 million in non-jackpot-size winnings. This includes 37 $1 million winners across the country. In Tuesday night’s drawing, four tickets won second-tier prizes of $1 million or more.

The last Mega Millions jackpot was hit on Dec. 8, when two winners split a top prize of $394 million. Notably, both lucky winners purchased from the same Chevron station in Encino, California, as the company previously announced.

The highest jackpot won in the history of the game was $1.6 billion by a single ticket holder in Florida last August.

Mega Millions tickets are $2 a play. Drawings happen every Tuesday and Friday night at 11 p.m. ET.