Mega Millions jackpot reaches $650 million, one of highest in game’s history

The Mega Millions drawing tonight boasts an estimated jackpot of $650 million, making it one of the top 10 largest jackpots in the game’s history.

The drawing, scheduled for 11 p.m., offers a cash value option of approximately $304.1 million. This jackpot has been accumulating since the last big win in Virginia on June 27.

If no winning ticket is drawn, the jackpot is expected to increase to an estimated $680 million for the next drawing Friday, with a cash value of about $318.2 million.

However, if there is a winner, the jackpot will reset to $50 million.

Watch the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesdays and Fridays on Channel 2, right before WSB Tonight at 11 p.m.

The Mega Millions jackpot has been rolling for more than three months. It is now the 10th largest offered since the game began in 2002.

The current jackpot run has seen 32 drawings without a jackpot winner, resulting in more than 9.1 million winning tickets across all prize tiers, totaling nearly $217.2 million in prizes.

In the most recent drawing on Oct. 17, there were 416,751 winning tickets, with total winnings exceeding $8.5 million. Nine tickets matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball to win the third-tier prize, with varying multipliers increasing their winnings.

Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each ticket costs $5 and includes a randomly assigned multiplier, which can increase non-jackpot prizes by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X.

Half of the proceeds from ticket sales remain in the state where the ticket was sold.

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