Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $940M, the 4th-largest prize in game history

The Mega Millions jackpot neared $1 billion after nobody won the grand prize in Tuesday night’s drawing.

The next Mega Millions drawing on Friday will have a $940 million jackpot, according to the lottery’s website.

It remains the sixth-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

Winning numbers on Tuesday were 25, 29, 33, 41 and 44, and the Mega Ball number was 18.

Six people matched the first five numbers. Three people won $1 million each, while three others hit the megaplier bonus and won $4 million each.

The last Mega Millions jackpot was won on Oct. 14. Since then, there have been 23 drawings with no grand prize winner. The odds of winning are about 1 in 302.6 million.

If Friday night’s drawing produces a winner, the lucky winner will have the option of receiving $940 million over 29 years in annuity payments, or taking the $483.5 million instant cash prize. Most lottery winners take the instant payout.

The largest prize in Mega Millions was $1.54 billion, claimed by a single winner in South Carolina in October 2018.

In all of U.S. lottery history, the biggest prize was awarded in November , when one person won a $2.04 billion Powerball drawing. That person has not yet claimed their winnings.