Mega Millions jackpot hits $1.1 billion, eighth largest in history

The Mega Millions jackpot has risen to a whopping $1.1 billion after no one took home the big prize Friday night.

The numbers drawn were: 3, 8, 31, 35, 44, 16.

There hasn’t been a Mega Millions jackpot winner since Dec. 8, a string of 30 consecutive drawings without anyone taking home the top prize. That has enabled the jackpot to slowly grow, week after week.

The $1.1 billion prize is for a jackpot winner who chooses the annuity option – or annual payments over 30 years. The cash option – which winners almost always opt for – is an estimated $525.8 million.

The next Mega Millions drawing is Tuesday at 11 p.m. Eastern time.

The next Mega Millions jackpot has topped a billion dollars (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Mega Millions is the only lottery game that has awarded five jackpots exceeding $1 billion, all in different states. South Carolina was the first in 2018, followed by Michigan in 2021, Illinois in 2022, Maine in early 2023 and Florida last August.

Powerball’s jackpot, meanwhile, has grown to $750 million and a cash payout of $357.3 million. The next Powerball drawing is Saturday night.

The odds of winning any lottery jackpot are very slim. Mega Millions players have a 1 in 302.6 million chance of taking home the top prize.