DES MOINES, Iowa – You bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket and have been dreaming of how you’ll spend $1.28 billion. Now it’s time to check your numbers and face reality.
Friday’s winning numbers are: 13-36-45-57-67, Mega Ball: 14.
The jackpot is the third-largest lottery prize and the biggest in nearly four years.
It grew so large because there have been 29 consecutive draws without a winner, a span that stretches back to April 15 when a Tennessee player matched all of the game’s six numbers.
The $1.28 billion prize is for players who are paid with the annuity option, which makes 30 annual payments that stretch over 29 years. Nearly all jackpot winners choose the cash option, which for Friday night’s drawing is an estimated $747.2 million.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The game is coordinated by state lotteries.
The jackpot is the latest focus of lotteries that have been conducted in the U.S. and around the world for centuries.
Across the U.S., state lottery systems use lottery revenue to boost education, tourism, transportation and much more. With the big Mega Millions jackpot, state officials are hoping increased national interest in securing the top prize will result in more funding for their own causes.