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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mega Millions lottery tickets rest on a counter at a Pilot travel center near Burlington, N.C., in 2016. The last time anyone won the jackpot was July 24, when a group from California claimed a $543 million prize.
DES MOINES, Iowa >> After nearly three months without a winner, the Mega Millions lottery game has climbed to an estimated $654 million jackpot.
Unfortunately, even as the big prize for Tuesday night’s drawing increases to the fourth-largest in U.S. history, the odds of matching all six numbers and winning the game don’t improve. They’re stuck at a miserable one in 302.5 million.
The last time anyone won the jackpot was July 24, when a group from California claimed a $543 million prize.
The estimated $654 million jackpot refers to the annuity option, paid out over 29 years. The cash option, which is favored by nearly all winners, is $372 million.
Mega Millions is played in 44 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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