Mega Millions excitement during the past few weeks has had an important dividend for Virginia. Sales of Mega Millions tickets in Virginia as the jackpot grew to a record amount generated an estimated $31.1 million in profits. Under Virginia law, all of those profits go to K-12 education in the Commonwealth.

Although the jackpot-winning ticket was not bought in Virginia, 194,037 tickets bought in Virginia won prizes ranging from $2 to $20,000 in the August 8 Mega Millions drawing. That includes two tickets that each won $20,000 and one ticket that won $10,000.

The record-setting Mega Millions jackpot run began immediately after the April 18 drawing. It continued growing through 31 drawings in which there was no jackpot winner, until the jackpot for the August 8 drawing stood at a jaw-dropping $1.58 billion, the largest in Mega Millions history. One ticket matched all six numbers to win the top prize. That means the jackpot for the Friday, August 11, drawing resets back to $20 million.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday nights at 11 p.m. The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24. Prizes start at $2 and increase all the way to the jackpot.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. In Fiscal Year 2022, the Lottery raised more than $779 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget.