A US lottery jackpot has become the world's largest-ever lottery prize after nobody claimed the grand prize in Friday's drawing.
The Mega Millions lottery jackpot carries a grand prize estimated at 1.6 billion dollars, surpassing a previous world record from January 2016 of 1.586 billion dollars in a different US lottery, according to the Mega Millions website.
The next drawing is set for Tuesday.
‘Mega Millions has already entered historic territory, but it's truly astounding to think that now the jackpot has reached an all-time world record,’ said Gordon Medenica, lead director of the Mega Millions Group and director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming.
‘It's hard to overstate how exciting this is - but now it's really getting fun.’ Mega Millions tickets are sold in 44 states, Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands. Players pay 2 dollars for a ticket and choose five numbers from 1 to 70 and a single Mega number from 1 to 25.
Mega Millions recently modified its formula, making it less likely that any given ticket will win. Consequently, the size of jackpots, which roll over if they go unclaimed, have grown.
If there is a winning ticket, the holder or holders can opt for 30 annual payments or a lump sum cash prize.
The Mega Millions jackpot has been growing since it was last hit on July 24, when a group of 11 co-workers in California shared a 543-million-dollar jackpot.
The previous record Mega Millions jackpot was 656 million dollars, which was shared by winners in three US states in March 2012.