Mega Millions Hits 28 Years, But Doesn’t Celebrate With Jackpot

Last night's Mega Millions winning numbers were 6, 23, 41, 59, 63, with the gold Mega Ball being 25. Your ticket didn't win the big prize. 

The Mega Millions draw on Friday, Sept. 6, yielded no winners for the jackpot. It signified the game’s 27th straight drawing without a ticket that matched the six winning numbers. 

The upcoming jackpot for Tuesday, September 10, is currently estimated at $800 million, featuring a one-time cash option of $401.8 million. The jackpot has increased to the seventh-highest in the history of Mega Millions, which started in 1996. 

Tuesday's $800 million prize is surpassed only by seven Mega Millions jackpots, each exceeding 10 digits. With a value of $800 million, the jackpot is the 13th highest in U.S. history. 

Top Mega Millions Jackpots

• $1.602B — 8/8/2023 — 1-FL
• $1.537B — 10/23/2018 — 1-SC
• $1.348B — 1/13/2023 — 1-ME
• $1.337B — 7/29/2022 — 1-IL
• $1.128B — 3/26/2024 — 1-NJ
• $1.05B — 1/22/2021 — 1-MI
• $800M — 9/10/2024 — ?
• $656M — 3/30/2012 — 3-IL, KS, MD
• $648M — 12/17/2013 — 2-CA, GA
• $552M — 6/4/2024 — 1-IL

Highlights of Friday Night 

Although the jackpot eluded players on Friday, the evening wasn’t entirely in vain, as six tickets matched all five white balls but missed the gold Mega Ball, securing Mega Millions’ second-tier prize of $1 million. One of those players bought the extra $1 Megaplier add-on, which doubled their prize to $2 million when the Megaplier showed 2x. 

Forty-nine tickets matched four white balls along with the gold Mega Ball to win $10,000. Ten of those games featured the Megaplier, increasing their prize to $20,000. Over 1,000 tickets matched four of the five white balls for $500 rewards, with 223 also featuring the Megaplier. 

A total of 1,699,484 tickets were awarded a prize in the Friday drawing. About 1.12 million of those tickets matched the Mega Ball, allowing them to recover their $2 wager. 

Mega Millions Celebration 

The night of Friday celebrated the 28th anniversary of Mega Millions. Although the game began as The Big Game when it was first officially drawn on Friday, September 6, 1996, the interstate lottery system has consistently operated since then. 

The initial six lotteries that took part 28 years ago were Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Virginia. The Mega Millions emblem featuring the golden Mega Ball showcasing six stars symbolizes the initial six lotteries that took part. Currently, Mega Millions is active in 45 states, along with Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

In addition to its rebranding — initially to The Big Game Mega Millions in 2002 and then to Mega Millions in 2003 — Mega Millions has modified its gameplay over the years to increase the difficulty of winning the jackpot. Lottery officials indicate that headlines generating jackpots are beneficial for business, as increasing prizes attract more occasional lottery players. 

The game underwent its latest revision in October 2017, when the cost to play was raised to $2 and the Mega Balls were expanded from 15 to 25. The count of white balls decreased from 75 to 70, prompting some to believe that winning the jackpot could be simpler. 

The reverse occurred, with the jackpot’s odds increasing from one in 258.89 million to one in 302.57 million.