Mega Millions jackpot soars to $681 million

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, according to Mega Millions. 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. 4. 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. 
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.