Mega Millions reaches more than a billion dollars. That's why lottery jackpots keep climbing

Even if the odds are not in your favor, billionaire dreams are now at your fingertips thanks to Mega Millions.

Its jackpot officially reached a record $ 1.6 billion after the absence of the winner of the draw on Friday, which earned the numbers 15, 23, 53, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 7. The next draw will be the biggest ever lottery in America. The record is $ 1.58 billion, which was won in 2016 with a Powerball jackpot.

The current jackpot has been rising since July, when employees of a Californian company earned $ 543 million.

And while ticket sales have largely contributed to Mega Millions' large silver stocks, increasing by 294% since the pot broke the $ 550 million mark, according to data specialist David Ascienzo, the game also underwent a major change that caused the jackpots to swell. These last months.

"Lottery officials who run Mega Millions have changed the rules and probabilities of the game last October so that jackpots are distributed less frequently, stimulating the growth of their monsters," FOX Ascienzo, who Lottery ticket purchase data. Business.

In addition, adds Mega Millions, Mega Millions also doubled the price of its $ 2 notes, which also contributed to growth.

"Since these changes, three of Mega Millions' six biggest jackpots have been paid for," he says.

In fact, in July, when Mega Millions paid off its last jackpot, it was worth more than $ 543 million, the ninth largest jackpot in US history.

However, his second largest total of all time for $ 656 million was in 2012 before the tweak.

Since 2012, 10 of the biggest lottery jackpots in US history have gone over $ 500 million.

Still according to Ascienzo, while low-income Americans play a leading role in the lottery, ticket sales tend to shift, as high-income Americans are also attracted to higher jackpots.

Mega Millions did not immediately respond to FOX Business's request for comment.

The odds of winning the current Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350 and do not depend on the number of players in the pot.