New Jersey lottery players win thousands as Mega Millions jackpot hits record high
Eight New Jersey lottery players won $10,000 in Friday's Mega Millions drawing, as the jackpot has grown to a record high.
The New Jersey Lottery announced that eight tickets, including two in Bergen County, matched four of the five white balls and the Mega Ball to win third-tier $10,000 prizes.
Here is a look at where the tickets were sold:
$10,000 tickets
New Milford, Bergen County: Dollar Power on River Road
New Milford, Bergen County: Welsh Farms on River Road
Millington, Morris County: Country Farms on Division Avenue
Jersey City, Hudson County: Holland Service Center on Marin Boulevard,
Pleasantville, Atlantic County: Garden State Mini Mart on Black Horse Pike
Sicklerville, Camden County: Express Food Mart on Black Horse Pike
Voorhees, Camden County: Traino’s Wine & Spirits on E. Evesham Road
Tuckerton, Ocean County: Doyle’s Pour House Tuckerton on W. Main Street
In addition, 159 New Jerseyans matched four of the five white balls to win $500 prizes with 20 of those tickets having the Megaplier option to win $1,000.
Tuesday, Aug. 8 jackpot hits $1.55 billion
No one matched all six balls on Friday, so the jackpot will grow to an estimated $1.55 billion for the Tuesday, Aug. 8, drawing, according to the Mega Millions website. The cash option will be $757.2 million.
Tuesday's jackpot eclipses the previous Mega Millions record of $1.537 billion, won in 2018.
Tickets sold in Michigan and Tennessee had the Megaplier to win $2 million, while tickets from Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas all won $1 million.
The jackpot was last won on April 18 when someone in East Syracuse, New York, won a $20 million jackpot and was also won on April 14 when a lottery player in Ozone Park, New York, won a $483 million jackpot.
Friday, Aug. 4 winning Mega Millions numbers
The winning numbers drawn on Friday, Aug. 4 were: 11, 30, 45, 52 and 56 with Mega Ball: 20. The Megaplier was 2.
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When is next Mega Millions drawing?
Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.
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How do I play Mega Millions?
The cost is $2 per ticket, but you can add the Megaplier for $1, which will increase the amount of your potential prize up to five times the original prize (except for the jackpot).
Each player selects five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 25 for the Mega Ball. However, you can also have the lottery machine generate a random Quick Pick for you. You don't need to be a U.S. citizen or a resident of a particular state where you purchase your ticket.
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How many balls do I need to match for Mega Millions prize?
You can win $2 for matching just one - the Mega Ball. Short of the jackpot, you can win up to $1 million for matching all five white balls (except in California).
You can check all the prize payouts on the Mega Millions site here.
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Where can I play Mega Millions?
You can play the game in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The states not offering Mega Millions are: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.
Many grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores sell lottery tickets. Some states allow Mega Millions tickets to be purchased online, but beware of scam websites. Check with your state lottery for more details.
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What is deadline for buying Mega Millions tickets?
The deadline for purchasing a Mega Millions ticket varies by state so don't wait until the last minute. It can be 15 minutes to an hour or more before the actual drawing. For some third-party lottery apps, the deadline can be closer to two hours before the drawing. For example, Jackpocket in New Jersey has a deadline of 9:15 p.m. for the 11 p.m. ET drawing.
Click here to check the deadline for where you live.
What are my odds of winning the lottery?
Playing the Mega Millions can be exciting, but just don't go spending those millions before you win.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 302,575,350-to-1. The odds to match all five white balls are 12,607,306-to-1.
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What are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots?
Here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots ever:
$1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina
$1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023: Won in Maine
$1.337 billion: July 29, 2022: Illinois
$1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021: Won in Michigan
$656 million, March 30, 2012: Three winners in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
$648 million, Dec. 17, 2013: Two winners in California, Georgia
$543 million, July 24, 2018: Won in California
$536 million, July 8, 20116: Won in Indiana
$533 million: March 30, 2018: Won in New Jersey
Top 10 largest U.S. lottery jackpots ever
Here's a look at the top jackpots won in the United States, between the Powerball and the Mega Millions lotteries:
$2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022: California
$1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016: Three winners in California, Florida, Tennessee
$1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina
$1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2022: Won in Maine
$1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022: Illinois
$1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023: Won in California
$1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021: Won in Michigan
$768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019: Won in Wisconsin
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New Jerseyans win thousands as Mega Millions hits $1.55 billion
