Mega Millions Jackpot Reaches $868 Million to Become Second Highest Prize Ever

The Mega Millions lottery is currently at its second-highest jackpot in history, with a potential pay-out of $868 million.

Mega Millions had an already-historic drawing on Tuesday night worth $667 million, however, no winner was chosen according to a report by USA Today. That is good news for players, as the upcoming drawing is that much more valuable. If the winning numbers are chosen this time around, the winner will be well on their way to a billion dollars.

Tuesday’s winning numbers were 3, 49, 61, 69 and Mega Ball 9. Nobody matched all six numbers, though one ticket sold in San Francisco, California matched five, according to a tweet by the California Lottery.

As always, it is worth noting that the odds of winning this massive lottery jackpot are about as slim as it gets. Tuesday’s jackpot was already calculated at 302,575,350 to 1, and the chances on Friday will only get further. Meanwhile, Powerball players had about a 1 in 292,201,388 chance of winning. One CNBC report notes that the odds of taking home both jackpots at once are 1 in 88 quadrillion, though of course, it is technically possible.

While the Mega Millions jackpot will just be sitting there until Friday, Powerball has another drawing on Wednesday. This one will be worth $345 million if a winner is chosen. It may not make history, but it’s nothing to sneeze at either.

People expressed their hopes and skepticism in equal measure on social media. There are many optimists who figure that it is worth playing, at the very least, while others see the whole thing as a big con by the lottery itself.

“I’m definitely buying tickets for the next drawing,” one person wrote. “I’ll share with everyone if I win!!! I promise.”

“I never play this crap because it’s all rigged anyway,” scoffed another. “I save my money for better things than this junk.”

The idea that the whole game is rigged is a popular one these days, with many people noting the odd repetition of numbers in recent drawings.

“The #mega million lottery is #rigged,” one person declared, “have you noticed that all the numbers the last six weeks are basically the same? Are you telling me 69 [and] 61 keep being drawn? Please.”

While it is an exciting time when the jackpot gets so high, it is a scary time for statistics. As always, the internet is full of reminders about what is more likely to happen than winning the jackpot. For example, the average person is 258 times more likely to be struck by lightning this year than to win the jackpot. They are also 80 times more likely to be killed by a shark, though only one is likely in the average convenience store.

Photo credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images