Chad Cuneo displays Mega Millions lottery tickets he purchased at a newsstand Friday in Philadelphia.(Photo: Matt Rourke, AP)
[h=3]Story Highlights[/h]
- Chances of selecting the winning six-number ticket are just 1 in 259 million
- Jackpot is fifth largest on record
- If there's no jackpot winner, Tuesday's drawing could rise to $550 million
Friday night's Mega Millions jackpot is the fifth-largest ever, buoyed by strong ticket sales.
Lottery officials boosted the jackpot to $425 million from $400 million Friday morning, about 12 hours ahead of the 11 p.m. drawing. A lump sum, post-tax payout is worth about $161 million.
The winning numbers drawn were: 19, 24, 26, 27, 70 and Mega Ball 12.
Chances of selecting the winning six-number ticket are just 1 in 259 million, but hopefuls aren't thwarted by the odds or suspicious of a Friday the 13th drawing. Ticket sales in Virginia were running nearly 600% above normal sales, while in Oregon, they were up almost 400%, lottery officials said.
"As a rule, things will really take off the day of the drawing,'' Oregon state lottery spokesman Chuck Baumann said.
The jackpot has been growing since Oct.1, 20 straight drawings have failed to hit a winner.
If there's no winner in Friday night's drawing, Tuesday's pot could rise to $550 million.
Mega Millions' record $656 million jackpot was split between three ticket holders in March 2012. A record Powerball jackpot, worth $590.5 million, was won by Floridian Gloria MacKenzie in May.
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