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U.S. Mega Millions lottery up to $400 million, 2nd-biggest ever

A customer arrives at a store where a Mega Millions sign is seen after the lottery grand prize rose to $344 million in New York December 7, 2013. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

(Reuters) – The U.S. Mega Millions jackpot grew to an estimated $400 million for the next draw on Friday after no one won the top prize of $344 million on Tuesday evening, lottery organizers said.

A customer arrives at a store where a Mega Millions sign is seen after the lottery grand prize rose to $344 million in New York December 7, 2013. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

The next draw is slated for Friday, December 13 – considered an unlucky date by some – at 11 p.m. E.T. (0400 GMT Saturday).

If the winner chose to take a cash prize instead of an annuity, it would amount to $216 million, according to the Mega Millions website www.megamillions.com.

Tuesday’s top prize had a cash payout option of $184 million, according to the lottery, which is played in a majority of U.S. states. The winning numbers from that drawing were: 5, 12, 22, 41, 65 and 13, Mega Millions said.

No one has won the jackpot in more than two months, pushing the purse steadily higher, although it remains well below the record-setting $656 million won on March 30, 2012.

The next largest prizes in the 17-year history of Mega Millions were worth $390 million and $380 million.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Dilts and Eric M. Johnson; Editing by Bernard Orr and Lisa Shumaker)

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