With its next drawing Friday night, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to at least $630 million -- but it's not the largest jackpot in the game's history.
And according the Illinois Lottery, Illinois has landed on a list of the top Mega Millions jackpots ever won, coming in third place.
Officials say the largest Mega Millions prize won in the state of Illinois occurred in Mar. 2012, when three winning tickets split a $646 million jackpot.
The other two winning tickets for that jackpot were sold in Maryland and California.
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The largest jackpot in Mega Millions history was won in Oct. 2018 by a South Carolina woman in Oct. 2018, who netted $1.5 billion before taxes.
According to officials, Friday's jackpot of $630 million will be its fifth largest jackpot in the history of the game. Here's a breakdown of the others:
- Oct. 2018: $1.5 billion, with the winning ticket sold in South Carolina
- Jan. 2021: $1 billion, with winning tickets sold in Michigan and Kansas
- Mar. 2012: $646 million, with winning tickets sold in Illinois, Maryland and California
- Dec. 2013: $648 million, with the winning ticket sold in Georgia
More than 7,000 Illinois retailers currently sell Mega Millions tickets, and tickets can also be purchased online. residents that tickets can also be purchased online. Tickets cost $2, and players can add a “Megaplier” multiplier for an additional $1 for a chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes.
The drawing for the $630 Mega Millions jackpot is set for Friday night at 10 p.m.
