Mega Millions jackpot rises to estimated $400 million
A lucky person could be a winner on Friday as the Mega Millions jackpot has risen to an estimated $400 million.
No tickets were sold matching all five numbers and the Mega Ball for Tuesday's drawing, and Friday’s drawing could see someone go home with a cash prize of $231.7 million, before taxes.
The estimated prize is larger than the recent $366.7 million Powerball jackpot matched by a Vermont ticket for the June 29 drawing, according to that lottery game's website.
The $400 million Mega Millions jackpot is the largest since January, when a California Lottery player chose to take the $292.9 million cash payout on a $426 million jackpot, according to the Mega Millions website.The current prize has risen since April 15, the last time a Mega Millions jackpot was won.
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There have been 35 lottery tickets sold in Washington County that have won prizes of $10,000 or more since July 1, 2021, according to Maryland Lottery spokesperson Seth Elkin. The largest winnings in that time include three scratch-off tickets worth $100,000 each.
Two Mega Millions tickets — worth $44,000 from the May 17 drawing and worth $10,000 from the April 1 drawing — were sold at the Martin's store at 1729 Dual Highway in Hagerstown and at the Weis store at 700 Chase Six Boulevard in Boonsboro, respectively, according to Elkin.
Washington County accounted for 1.94% of Maryland Lottery’s sales from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, according to Elkin. This ranks the county 12th out of the state’s 24 jurisdictions — including all 23 counties and Baltimore City.
If a winner is found on Friday, they will secure the 16th largest Mega Millions jackpot of all time, according to its current estimation. The prize is about $51 million away from the 10th largest Mega Millions jackpot of all time, which was won with a ticket from Florida in 2018, according to the Mega Millions website.
Maryland has had three Mega Millions tickets that won $1 million — the second-tier prize — this year that were sold in Severn, Conowingo and Rising Sun, according to Elkin.
Eleven players have cashed jackpot-winning Mega Millions tickets in Maryland since the company changed its name in May 2002. However, the last ticket to secure a jackpot from Maryland was in 2014.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Mega Millions jackpot up to $400 million for Friday's drawing
