Mega Millions Numbers for June 21, 2016 -- Live Results for $333M Jackpot Drawing, Schedule
The Top Prize Has Not Been Won Since March
UPDATE - June 21, 2016 - 11:00 p.m. ET: The winning numbers for Friday's Mega Millions jackpot are 6, 13, 21, 49, 50 and the megaball is 10. The megaplier is 5x.
The jackpot prize for Mega Millions this Tuesday has reached $333 million, considered to be the seventh biggest prize in the 20-year history of the lottery game.
How Much is the Cash Option?
Mega Millions announced that no bettor matched last Friday's winning numbers last (20, 23, 30, 44 , 59) and Mega Ball 9, increasing the jackpot prize to more than $300 million with a cash value of $226 million. This is the largest prize offered since March 18, 2014 when two bettors in Florida and Maryland won $414 million.
Despite not having a jackpot winner for the previous draw last Friday (June 17), there were three bettors from Rhode Island, California and New Jersey who matched all 5 white balls with an equivalent $1 million winning. The player from Rhode Island also added the optional Megaplier, which multiplied the winnings by five times its original amount.
The Megaplier applies only for non-jackpot prizes and it can be purchased for an additional $1. This can multiply winnings by 2 to 5 times.
No Jackpot Winner Since March 8
The $5 million prize has been won twice in a week with a Texas bettor getting the same amount last June 10. On the contrary, the jackpot has not been won for about three months now with the last winner getting $157 million on March 8.
Bettors who win prizes in the lottery game surely have luck on their side as only one in 15 people win a cash prize when playing Mega Millions. However, the odds to win the highest prize is 1 in 259 million.
How to Play Mega Millions
A lottery ticket costs $1 for every play, the mechanics of the game revealed. Players should also pick six numbers -- five from numbers 1 to 75 and another number from 1 to 15. Players can also opt for the electronically generated combination called Easy Pick.
A winner is determined if a bettor gets all six winning numbers. The jackpot prize of the lottery begins at $15 million, increasing by $5 million every draw when there are no lucky winners. Draws happen every Tuesday and Friday at 6:59 p.m.
Payment Options
If there is a lucky player who wins the jackpot, he or she can choose to be paid for 30 annual playments or choose the smaller cash payment. Mega Millions can be played in 44 states in the country including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington D.C.