Mega Millions jackpot rises to $505M after no top-prize winner in November 3 drawing

The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to an estimated $505 million after Tuesday's drawing produced no jackpot winner. The prize on offer for the November 3 draw was $482 million, with an estimated cash option of $203.6 million.

The winning numbers were 4, 24, 31, 62 and 70, with the gold Mega Ball 3. No ticket matched all five white numbers, which would have paid between $2 million and $10 million depending on the multiplier, so there was no Match 5 winner either.

The highest prizes of the night went to four players who matched four white numbers plus the gold Mega Ball. Three of them won $30,000 each with a 3x multiplier, and one won $50,000 with a 5x multiplier. A further 149 players won tier-four prizes ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Because the top prize was not claimed, the jackpot has continued to grow. A winner of the next drawing would choose between an annuity paying the full advertised sum and a one-time lump sum of $213.3 million. That drawing is scheduled for Friday, November 6.

The previous drawings were also quiet at the top end. In the one before Tuesday's, the best result was three players winning prizes of up to $30,000, and the draw before that also had no major winners. The most recent Match 5 win came last month in New York, where a player took $5 million. Before that, a player in New Jersey won $2 million and one in Florida won $3 million for matching all five white numbers in a separate drawing.

Elsewhere in the US lottery market, the Powerball jackpot has passed the $800 million mark after a player in Delaware won a $1 million prize.