The U.S. Mega Millions jackpot grew to an estimated $425 million for the next draw on Friday after no one won the top prize of $344 million on Tuesday evening, lottery organizers said.
The next draw is slated for Friday, December 13—considered an unlucky date by some—at 11 p.m. EST. In Pennsylvania, Mega Millions tickets will be available for sale until 9:59 p.m.
If one ticket matches all six numbers for the $425 million jackpot, the winner will have the choice of receiving the full jackpot in 30 annual payments, or a cash prize of approximately $228.2 million before taxes, according to the Mega Millions website. It is the second-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history, and the fifth-largest ever in North America.
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Tuesday's top prize had a cash payout option of $184 million, according to the lottery, which is played in a majority of US states. The winning numbers from that drawing were: 5, 12, 22, 41, 65 and 13, Mega Millions said.
No one has won the jackpot in more than two months, pushing the purse steadily higher, although it remains well below the record-setting $656 million won on March 30, 2012.
The next largest prizes in the 17-year history of Mega Millions were worth $390 million and $380 million. The ticket price remains $1.
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—By Reuters. CNBC.com contributed to this report.