US lottery jackpot reaches $1.1 billion as boss buys tickets for 50,000 employees

A giant Mega Millions lottery jackpot ballooned to over $1 billion after no one matched all six numbers and won the top prize. Credit: AP

A $1.1 billion lottery prize will be on the line this evening as numbers are drawn for the Mega Millions game.

The giant jackpot is the nation's third-largest prize and is the result of 29 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all of the game's six numbers.

That last time someone hit the Mega Millions jackpot was April 15.

Punters have been queuing out the door at stores around the United States with the hopes of securing a winning ticket.

Each person rushing out to spend $2 on a ticket will have just a 1 in 302.5 million chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot.

US Mega Millions jackpot surges over $1bn after no winner declared in last round
Jackpot hopefuls have been queueing outside of stores across the US trying to secure a winning ticket. Credit: AP

For the lucky winner however, the $1.1 billion prize is paid annually over 29 years.

Or, for those who would rather a lump sum, which is the route most winners choose, it's an estimated $648.2 million cash prize.

Fast food chain Raising Cane's is also looking to win some money after buying a ticket for each of its 50,000 employees.

It will be the second time this week that the chicken restaurant chain has shelled out around $100,000 on tickets in the hopes of securing the jackpot.

AJ Kumaran, Raising Cane's co-chief executive officer and chief operating officer said: "This is really more than about money, this is about having fun."

He added: "You know, we actually gave over 200 million dollars in wage increase over the last two years but, look, this is really more than about money, this is about having fun.

"By the way, we are 50,000 crew members, if we did win, it's about just under $10,000 per crew member which doesn't make a material difference in terms of if you just added that on to wages, to be honest, so $100,00 is not going to go a long way for 50,000 crew members if you just give it, then have taxes et cetera.

"This is us taking care of each other, standing by each other as a family so, yeah, I think we're going to do it again. I think this is it though, Friday is it."

If no one wins the jackpot Friday night, the prize will grow even larger ahead of the next drawing Tuesday night.

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Mega Millions, which is coordinated by state lotteries, is played in 45 states as well as Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands.

This means that while visitors to America can buy tickets from a US lottery retailer, Mega Millions tickets are not sold outside the US.

The biggest ever lottery jackpot win came in 2016, in the USA’s Powerball jackpot – with $1.586 billion (£1.3 billion) being won, though this was split between three winning tickets.