Mega Millions jackpot swells to $363M | News

The Mega Millions jackpot has swelled to $363 million for Tuesday night’s drawing, making it the third largest jackpot in game history.

If the lucky winner chooses the cash option, they will receive a whopping $259 million. 

According to the SC Lottery, ticket sales are swift in South Carolina.

“When we post a jackpot of this magnitude, it gets attention.  Those that don’t play very often decide to take a chance,” said the Lottery’s Executive Director Paula Harper Bethea.  “As always, we encourage players to please, above all else, play responsibly.”

The odds of winning the jackpot are long, about 1 in 175 million.

South Carolina began offering Mega Millions in January of 2010 and has yet to produce a jackpot winner.  A Beaufort man’s ticket proved lucky for the March 20 drawing, he won $250,000. Friday night’s drawing produced a $10,000 winner in South Carolina.

“We hope a South Carolinian will be the one to stop this jackpot run,” said Bethea. “A $363 million jackpot is exciting for our players and this state, but the real winner is education.”

South Carolinians wanting to take a chance on Tuesday night’s drawing must purchase tickets by 10 p.m. for the 11 p.m. drawing.

Mega Millions® tickets cost $1 and are available at lottery retailers statewide. 

Players can purchase Megaplier for an extra $1 to see their non-jackpot winnings multiplied by the Megaplier number selected.  Match 5 white balls with Megaplier to win an automatic $1 million.