As the sun descended Friday evening over Des Moines, Iowa, anticipation rimmed the air. Hopeful ticket holders watched in rapt attention as the Mega Millions numbers were laboriously drawn: 3, 8, 31, 35, 44, 16. Breaths halted momentarily as millions across America held their slips of possibility, their pieces of paper more than mere numbers.
However, the suspense dissipated instantly as it became evident there was no match to the game’s six dizzying digits, prolonging the over three-month lapse without a colossal winner, a streak unblemished since December 8. A staggering 30 consecutive drawings have passed without a lucky soul to claim the prized crown.
With each fruitless drawing, the Mega Millions jackpot continues its unrelenting ascent. The jackpot was last elevated following the failed bid on an estimated $977 million. Without a claimant in sight, the ever-inflating purse now teeters at an astronomical $1.1 billion, an enthralling spectacle for one fortunate gambler, the sole recipient selecting a 30-year annuity payment method.
The vast majority of victors historically lean towards the lump sum option, which at the next drawing slated for Tuesday night, boasts a dizzying cash estimation of $525.8 million. Should a fortunate participant’s stars align, winning the $1.1 billion purse would secure the eighth-largest in the annals of U.S. lottery lore.
Simultaneously, the Powerball, Mega Million’s sibling in the American lottery landscape, has seen its own jackpot blossom to an impressive annuity of $750 million, or a lump-sum cash payout bolstering a hefty $357.3 million. The stage is set for the forthcoming Powerball drawing this Saturday night, as hopeful ticket holders eagerly dream of carrying home the monumental, life-altering prize.
