Mega Millions numbers for Jan. 1, 2023 drawing, $785M jackpot

(NEXSTAR) – Ahead of Tuesday’s drawing, the Mega Millions jackpot reached an estimated $785 million, making it the fourth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the sixth-largest lottery prize in the U.S.

This is only the third time the Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed $700 million, according to game officials. All three times, the jackpot ultimately past $1 billion, becoming the largest grand prizes in the game’s history.

If a ticket matches all six numbers drawn Tuesday, seen below, the winner will land a jackpot with a cash option of $403.8 million, officials say.

Here are Tuesday’s winning numbers: 25, 29, 33, 41, 44, and gold Mega Ball 18.

Tickets sold in California and Florida for an Oct. 14 drawing shared the last Mega Millions jackpot of $502 million. The lottery’s top prize has been building anew over 20 drawings held since then.

Last year, a record-setting Mega Millions jackpot worth $1.4 billion was claimed in Illinois. It was the nation’s third-largest lottery prize for nearly four months until November when a Powerball ticket sold in California matched the winning numbers for a $2.04 billion jackpot.

If there is no winner in Tuesday’s drawing, the Mega Millions jackpot would have to grow by more than $2 million to become the third-largest prize in the game’s history. That spot is currently held by a $1.05 billion prize claimed in Michigan in 2021.

During Tuesday’s drawing, officials said the jackpot could surpass $900 million ahead of Friday’s drawing.

There are a couple of factors that will impact just how big the Mega Millions jackpot gets before Friday’s drawing.

Here are the largest Mega Millions jackpots to date: