ALBUQUERQUE – At $353 million, the jackpot in tonight’s Mega Millions drawing is the game’s fifth-largest prize ever.
The current jackpot run started at $15 million on Jan. 7 and has grown to $353 million through 19 consecutive drawings. If the jackpot is not hit tonight, it will roll to an estimated $400 million.
“When jackpots climb this high, they produce a lot of noise and draw big crowds, which is great news for college students who depend on Legislative Lottery Scholarships,” said New Mexico Lottery CEO David Barden.
Barden said Mega Millions sales for tonight’s jackpot could come to approximately $375,000, a 50% increase from sales a week ago.
Mega Millions tickets are $1 per wager. At $656 million, the game holds the record for the world’s highest jackpot. The $656 million prize was won in March 2012 by players from Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.
The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are approximately 1 in 259 million. The odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are approximately 1 in 15.
New Mexico Lottery players have until 8:45 p.m. MT to buy tickets for the 9 p.m. drawing.
The cash option for the $353 million jackpot is $194 million before taxes.
Legislative Lottery Scholarships
All profits from the sale of New Mexico Lottery games fund an in-state college tuition assistance program. Since 1996, the New Mexico Lottery has raised $596.4 million for education and more than 90,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships. More information about Legislative Lottery Scholarships is available at www.nmlottery.com.
Follow the New Mexico Lottery on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nmlottery) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/NewMexicoLottery).