Update, Friday, 12:42 p.m.: The jackpot for the Friday, July 29, Mega Millions drawing has been increased to an estimated $1.28 billion.
The jackpot for the Friday, July 29, Mega Millions drawing has just been increased to an estimated $1.1 billion, making it the third largest jackpot of any North American lottery game, and the second largest jackpot in Mega Millions history.
According to a Virginia Lottery news release, extremely strong sales are taking place across the Commonwealth and online.
Tickets may be purchased through 10:45 p.m. on Friday night.
However, lottery officials say with sales this heavy, players should not wait until the last minute.
“The excitement of this high jackpot is good news for Virginia because the profit from every Mega Millions ticket bought in Virginia, whether or not that ticket wins a prize, benefits K-12 public education in Virginia,” said John Hagerty, a spokesperson for Virginia Lottery. “In fiscal year 2021, the lottery raised more than $766 million for K-12 education in the Commonwealth.”
Virginia has had nine Mega Millions jackpot wins since the game began in 2002.
In Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing, more than 188,000 tickets bought in Virginia won prizes, including four tickets that each won $10,000.
Mega Millions is played in 47 jurisdictions: 45 states plus Washington D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The five states that don’t have Mega Millions are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.
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Crystal Graham
