Numbers in $1 Billion US Mega Millions Drawing Announced

The wait is over for the millions of people who purchased tickets for the Mega Millions jackpot that climbed to a staggering $1 billion before the winning numbers were announced Friday night.

Those numbers are 15 23 53 65 70 and Mega Ball 7.

It is not yet known if there are any winning tickets. That will be known later Saturday or Sunday. If no one wins, the jackpot will be even larger for Tuesday’s drawing.

Friday’s drawing is the second-largest lottery pool ever in U.S. history, topped only by the $1.59 billion Powerball award in 2016.

People with dreams of quitting their jobs or donating to charity have been lining up at retail stores in recent days to buy lottery tickets for the $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot, despite the odds.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 303 million, much less than the National Weather Service’s 1 in more than 1 million estimate of being struck by lightning in a given year.

If a person purchases a ticket with the lucky six numbers, the winnings can be claimed one of two ways: accept payments spread over 30 years or as a one-time lump sum payment.

The lump sum would be subject to federal, state and local taxes totaling tens of millions of dollars.

If ticket holders fail to win the Mega Millions jackpot, they can also pursue their dreams by participating in the Powerball lottery, which will hold its drawing Saturday for an estimated $430 million jackpot.

Both lotteries are offered in 44 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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