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Mega Millions jackpot soars to $681 million after 25th drawing with no winner

By
Kerry Breen
News Editor
Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
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Kerry Breen

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After nearly three months of no winners, the Mega Millions jackpot has risen to an estimated $681 million, one of the largest in the game's history. 

The jackpot began rolling in June, after an Illinois player won $552 million, . Since then, there have been 25 drawings, but no jackpot prize winners. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, Mega Millions said. 

The next drawing will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 3. If a winner comes forward, they will take home the seventh-largest jackpot in the game's history, and the largest Mega Millions prize in the month of September.

If the winner opts for a cash prize, they will take home $336.1 million, Mega Millions said. Players can also accept a series of annuity payments for 30 years. 

Mega Millions Jackpot hits $1.5 Billion
A person plays the Mega Millions. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Just two other people have taken home Mega Millions jackpots this year. Before the Illinois winner in June, a New Jersey player won a massive $1.128 billion. That prize remains unclaimed, but players in the state have a year from the drawing date to claim. 

Since 2018, Mega Millions has produced six jackpots of over $1 billion dollars, with its largest prize of a stunning $1.602 billion. Winners lived in South Carolina, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, Florida and most recently, New Jersey. 

Huge prizes are more common - and it's not by chance, College of the Holy Cross economics professor Victor Matheson told CBS News in 2023. The Multi-State Lottery Association, a not-for-profit that coordinates the Mega Millions game, has engineered it to create larger prizes, and the lottery's transformation to a nationwide game means more people pay into the jackpot. The ticket price has also been doubled, and there are more number options available, making it even harder to win. 

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