Mega Millions Jackpot for Friday's Drawing Is $660M, Game's Third-Largest Prize Ever

Lottery officials on Thursday raised the Mega Millions grand prize to $660 million, giving players a shot at what would be Mega Millions' third largest jackpot ever.

The jackpot for Friday night's drawing has grown so large because there hasn't been a winner in three months. Those 27 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all six numbers has allowed the jackpot to gradually grow from its $20 million starting point in April.

Even as the big prize has increased, the odds of winning all that money have remained the same — a staggering one in 302.5 million.

The highlighted pre-tax $660 million prize is for a winner who takes an annuity option, paid out in 30 annual payments. Most players choose the cash option, which for Friday's drawing would be $376.9 million.

The current Mega Millions record is $1.536 billion, sold in Oct. 2018. Friday's jackpot will be the nation's ninth biggest lottery prize overall. Powerball holds the U.S. record for a jackpot worth $1.586 billion shared among three winning tickets on Jan. 13, 2016.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The game is overseen by state lottery officials.

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What are the 10 largest US lottery jackpots ever won?

Here's a look at the 10 largest U.S. jackpots among the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery games:

1. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, Tennessee)

2. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018 (one ticket, from South Carolina)

3. $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021 (one ticket, from Michigan)

4. $768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019 (one ticket, from Wisconsin)

5. $758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017 (one ticket, from Massachusetts)

6. $731.1 million, Powerball, Jan. 20, 2021 (one ticket, from Maryland)

7. $699.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 4, 2021 (one ticket, from California)

8. $687.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 27, 2018 (two tickets, from Iowa and New York)

9. $656 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (three tickets, from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)

10. $648 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 17, 2013 (two tickets, from California and Georgia)