Mega Millions Jackpot Swells To $221 Million Ahead Of New Year's Eve Lottery Draw

The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to $221 million ahead of the New Year's eve lottery draw after nobody won the drawing worth $201 million held on Tuesday, Dec. 28.

The Mega Million numbers for the Dec. 28 drawing were 3-5-8-31-38. The Gold Mega Ball was 4 and the Megaplier was 3. However, since nobody matched all the numbers, the jackpot has swelled from $201 million to $221 million ahead of the New Year's Eve draw. The drawing on Friday, Dec. 31 will be worth $221 million with a cash option of $159.6 million, MLive reported.

No tickets matched all five white balls drawn to win $1 million during Tuesday's lottery as well. Previously, when no one won the $187 million jackpot held on Friday, Dec. 24, the Mega Millions jackpot jumped to an estimated $201 million, with a cash option of $144.1 million.

The Mega Millions draws are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. every week. During the drawing, five balls are chosen from a set of balls numbered 1 through 70, and a Mega Ball is drawn from a set of balls numbered 1 through 25.

The ticket costs $2 and provides a player a one in 302 million chance to win the jackpot and a one in 12 million chance of matching five numbers and winning the second prize.

Mega Millions is played in 44 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands.

In a similar but unrelated incident, the Powerball jackpot rose to $441 million with a cash option of $317.5 million for the Wednesday, Dec. 29, drawing since no winner was announced after its last drawing on Monday, Dec. 27, United Press International reported.

The winning numbers drawn on Monday, Dec. 27 were 36, 38, 45, 62, and 64 with a Powerball number 19. However, no tickets matched all the numbers.

The last time somebody won the Powerball was on Oct. 4 on a ticket sold in California. The winner reportedly won $699.8 million at that time. Since then, even though there have been 36 consecutive drawings, there hasn't been a single jackpot winner.

Powerball increased its drawings to three times a week in August and are now held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday each week.