“Now at $1.35 billion, the Mega Millions jackpot is moving up and making history as the second highest Mega Millions jackpot ever,” Pat McDonald, Ohio lottery director and lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium, said in the statement.
The only Mega Millions jackpot larger than Friday’s prize is the $1.53 billion won in South Carolina in 2018, Mega Millions said.
The cash payout for Friday, for a single winning ticket, would be an estimated $707.9 million. The winner could choose an annuity paid over 29 years instead.
Each ticket costs $2 per play, the website said. Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grows.
Match 5 winners from Tuesday were sold in California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Match 5 + Megaplier winners have also been found in Connecticut, Florida and New York.
No one has won the largest prize since Oct. 14, meaning there have been 25 drawings over three months since the last time a player matched all six numbers.
Drawings are held at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. Sales close at 10:45 p.m. the days of drawings.
The largest jackpot in the U.S. to date was a $2.04 billion Powerball won by a single ticket in California in November.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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