Mega Millions jackpot rises upto $1.02 Billion for next draw

BATON ROUGE - After Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing ended with no winner, the grand prize has soared into the billions.

With a jackpot of $1.02 billion, it's the third largest jackpot in Mega Millions history. The general public is buzzing with excitement, and buying up all the tickets they can get.

“If I won the jackpot, I want to go to med school. I’d definitely help pay for my med school and take care of my family," said Amber Brown, who bought two Mega Millions tickets and one Powerball.

In the last week, more than six million tickets have been sold. Louisiana Lottery spokesperson Kimberly Chopin says usually, sales are about 20 percent of that amount when the jackpot is at a lower level.

The growing jackpot means more money for K-12 schools in Louisiana. Around 33 cents of every dollar made from ticket sales go to funding public education.

“As jackpots build and more people play, that also translates into more proceeds that we’re able to hand over to the state for K-12 public education too. So it’s a win-win in both of those situations," Chopin said.

The last Mega Millions jackpot winner was in April. This Friday will be the 30th drawing since the last win.