2 Arizona tickets just miss Mega Millions win, jackpot soars to $750M
Jan 14, 2021, 4:15 AM | Updated: 2:44 pm
A billboard advertises the jackpots of the Powerball and Mega Millions lotteries, in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Lottery players will have a shot Friday night at the fifth-largest jackpot in U.S. history after no tickets matched all the numbers in the latest Mega Millions drawing. The big prize for Powerball, the other national lottery game, is $550 million for Wednesday night's drawing. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
PHOENIX — The dream of instant riches is still alive after no ticket holder won the Mega Millions jackpot Tuesday.
However, two lottery tickets purchased in the Valley last week were one number away from winning the whole pot.
By matching four out of five numbers (12, 14, 26, 28, 33) plus the Mega Ball (9), the tickets are each worth $10,000.
The two tickets were sold at Albertsons at Carefree Highway and Interstate 17 in Phoenix, and Safeway at Power and McKellips roads in Mesa, according to a press release.
The jackpot for Friday’s drawing has shot up to an estimated $750 million ($550.6 million with the cash option) — the second-largest in the game’s history.
The largest jackpot ever was $1.5 billion, which was won on October 23, 2018.
The last Mega Millions winner nationally was on Sept. 15 in Racine, Wisconsin, when someone won the $120 million jackpot. There were a total of five Mega Millions jackpot winners in 2020, including the game’s first Arizona winners.
Friday’s drawing will be held at 9 p.m. Arizona time.
