The Mega Millions drawing has begun to nudge billion-dollar territory with Friday night’s drawing, the sixth-biggest in U.S. history.
The winning numbers were 3-20-46-59-63, with the Mega Ball being 13.
The failure of anyone to win the previous drawing Tuesday night, made it 23 straight drawings without a match of all six numbers.
A ticket that matched all six numbers Friday would be worth $940 million.
There have been just five billion-dollar jackpots in U.S. history, though two have come in the past year. If Friday’s drawing produces no winner, the prize Tuesday would become the sixth and the third in just the past year.
The $940 million drawing comes less than two months after the biggest lottery prize ever, a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot that was won Nov. 8 in California but remains unclaimed.
If taken in a single massive payment, as most recent big lottery winners have chosen to do, Friday’s $940 million prize would be worth $483.5 million. The larger, advertised amount is what the other option — a 29-year annuity — would be worth over its lifetime.
Federal taxes would quickly take almost 40% of that amount, with state taxes a possibility on top of that.
The $2 Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, along with the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The odds of a winning Mega Millions ticket are 1 in 302.5 million.