No Mega Millions winner, jackpot soars to $1.25B

New month, same old rollover.

The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $1.25 billion after no ticket drawn Tuesday night matched the winning numbers.

The winning numbers were: 8-24-30-45-61 and a Mega Ball of 12. The next drawing is Friday.

No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18, allowing it to roll over again and again until it reached its status as the sixth-largest in U.S. history. Tuesday night’s drawing was the 30th since someone last won the jackpot.

The drought is due to a combination of poor luck and terrible odds, as the chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning smaller prizes, ranging from $1 million to $2, are significantly better.

Tuesday’s $1.1 billion jackpot was for a sole winner who chooses to collect through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. A sole winner who opts for a lump sum payment would have received an estimated $550.2 million.

Winners are subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.

Tickets cost $2 and are not sold in Nevada. The closest location is at The Lotto Store in Primm, just across the Nevada state line. Arizona outlets also sell lottery tickets.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

— The Review-Journal contributed to this report.