Mega Millions jackpot soars near $1B. Could Kentucky get its first winner Friday?
The Bluegrass State has had 18 Powerball jackpot winners during the Kentucky Lottery’s 33-plus year history, but has never had a grand prize winner for the Mega Millions.
The current Mega Millions jackpot run soared near $1 billion ahead of Friday’s drawing.
Jennifer Cunningham, senior communications specialist for Kentucky Lottery, said the ballooning jackpot has been accompanied by an uptick in lottery sales.
“The current Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since Oct. 18, 2022. Since then, the Kentucky Lottery has generated total Mega Millions sales of over $9.6 million,” Cunningham told the Herald-Leader in an email Friday ahead of the drawing, slated for 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
“While it’s hard to say for sure how many new players we get during these jackpot runs, we know more people who don’t typically play or only play when the jackpots get large wager during this time. Due to free national advertising of the jackpots, we also know that jackpot levels like the one we’re seeing currently with Mega Millions reaches a broader group. The significant increase in sales certainly points to a larger player base,” Cunningham added in a follow-up email.
Tuesday’s drawing resulted in plenty of losers and not a single winner for the then-$785 million jackpot. The numbers for that drawing were 25, 29, 33, 41, 44 and Mega Ball 18, according to the game’s website.
For Friday’s drawing, the grand prize climbs to $940 million, making it the sixth-largest jackpot in U.S. history. The cash option pays out $486 million.
Though the prizes are lofty, the odds of winning are also vast at 1 in 302.6 million.
You can purchase your Mega Millions tickets at any Kentucky Lottery retailer or buy them online at kylottery.com.
If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.
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