Primm travel plans? Mega Millions reaches $660M
DES MOINES, Iowa — Lottery officials on Thursday raised the Mega Millions grand prize to $660 million, giving players a shot at what would be the nation’s ninth largest jackpot.
The jackpot for Friday night’s drawing has grown so large because there hasn’t been a winner in three months. Those 27 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all six numbers has allowed the jackpot to gradually grow from its $20 million starting point in April.
Even as the big prize has increased, the odds of winning all that money have remained the same — a staggering one in 302.5 million.
The highlighted pre-tax $660 million prize is for a winner who takes an annuity option, paid out in 30 annual payments. Most players choose the cash option, which for Friday’s drawing would be $376.9 million.
Lottery tickets are not sold in Nevada.
In recent years, thousands of people have flocked to the Primm Valley Lotto Store at Primm to buy Mega Millions and Powerball lottery tickets. The store is about 45 miles southwest of Las Vegas along Interstate 15 on the Nevada-California border. It is the closest one to the Las Vegas Valley selling the tickets.
Also, various locations in northwest Arizona, including Bullhead City and White Hills, sell Mega Millions tickets.
10 LARGEST US LOTTERY JACKPOTS
1. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, Tennessee)
2. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018 (one ticket, from South Carolina)
3. $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021 (one ticket, from Michigan)
4. $768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019 (one ticket, from Wisconsin)
5. $758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017 (one ticket, from Massachusetts)
6. $731.1 million, Powerball, Jan. 20, 2021 (one ticket, from Maryland)
7. $699.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 4, 2021 (one ticket, from California)
8. $687.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 27, 2018 (two tickets, from Iowa and New York)
9. $656 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (three tickets, from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)
10. $648 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 17, 2013 (two tickets, from California and Georgia)
