DES MOINES, Iowa — Someone in New Jersey overcame the odds Tuesday night and won the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, breaking a winless streak that dated to last December.
The numbers drawn were: 7, 11, 22, 29, 38 and the gold Mega Ball 4. The winning ticket was sold in New Jersey, according the the Mega Millions website.
Until the latest drawing, no one had matched all six numbers and won the Mega Millions jackpot since Dec. 8. That amounted to 30 straight drawings without a big winner.
It’s tough to win the Mega Millions jackpot because the odds are so long, at 1 in 302.6 million.
The prize is the 8th largest in U.S. lottery history.
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The $1.13 billion jackpot is for a winner who is paid through an annuity, with an initial payment and then 29 annual payments. Most winners choose a cash payout, which would be $537.5 million.
The next big U.S. lottery drawing will be Wednesday night for an estimated $865 million Powerball jackpot. No one has won that prize since New Year’s Day, making for 36 drawings without a winner.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is played in those states as well as Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Powerball jackpot at $865 million
Miss out on that drawing? No problem. There will be a drawing Wednesday night for an estimated $865 million Powerball jackpot. No one has won that prize either since New Year's Day, making for 36 drawings without a winner.
For both games, the long drought of jackpots is no accident. The games have long odds specifically to create large jackpots that will generate lots of interest and sales.
For Mega Millions, the odds are 1 in 302.6 million, and for Powerball they are 1 in 292.2 million.
The $1.12 billion Mega Millions prize is for a sole winner who chooses to be paid through an annuity over 30 years. A winner who opts for a cash payout would get $537.5 million.
Those winnings would be subject to federal taxes, and some states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is played in those states as well as Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
How do I play?
Players can buy tickets for $2 and select six numbers from separate pools. Five of the selections come from one pool, with different numbers from 1 to 70, and the other is for the Mega Ball, with numbers from 1 to 25. Some states also give players the option of paying more for different options that increase payouts or give people extra sets of numbers.
People can pick their own numbers — and some play the same numbers each time — but most players opt for the quick pick option, which lets a computer generate random numbers.
Mega Millions holds drawings twice a week, at 11 p.m. EDT on Tuesday and Fridays, telecast from a television studio in Atlanta. The numbers are also quickly posted on the game's website.
How much would I win?
A lot, but likely a lot less than you might think.
First, that's because the advertised jackpot of $1.12 billion is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity, with an initial payment and then annual checks for 29 years. Nearly all winners actually prefer a cash payout, which for Tuesday night's drawing would be an estimated $537.5 million — less than half the number splashed across billboards and in neon ads at convenience stores.
Before forking over the money, lottery officials also would deduct 24% for federal taxes. The final tax bill could ultimately be higher though, as some of the winnings could be subject to the top federal tax bracket of 37%. State taxes also could be assessed, depending on where a player bought the winning ticket.
There also is a chance that more than one person will buy a winning ticket — as in 2016, when there were three winning tickets for a $1.6 billion lottery jackpot. Whatever the jackpot amount, it could be divvied into smaller prizes.
What are the odds?
Focusing on the amount of a jackpot prize misses the greater point — that you almost certainly will not win.
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million, and it's those low odds that enable the game to trundle along without a winner for months. If the odds were better, people would win jackpots more frequently, so the top prizes wouldn't grow so large — and entice so many people to play. In fact, Mega Millions lengthened its odds in 2019 in order to create bigger jackpots.
During the current stretch, there hasn't been a jackpot winner since Dec. 8, 2023. That's 29 consecutive drawings without someone matching all the numbers.
That said, lottery officials note there have been millions of winning tickets during that span, with prizes ranging from $2 to $1 million. The key, they say, is to play for fun and take a chance to dream a little, but not with an expectation of getting rich.
And of course, eventually someone will win the jackpot.
Who runs the lottery games?
Mega Millions and Powerball, the other big lottery game, are run separately but both are overseen by state lotteries. Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also operates in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The games don't operate in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada or Utah.
Both of the games raise money for the jurisdictions where they operate along with profits from other lottery games, such as scratch tickets. Some states shift the money into their general funds while others use it for specific purposes, such as funding college scholarships or state parks.
Just the Jackpot
Some states also offer a Just the Jackpot wager that allows them to play specifically for the jackpot only. At a price of $3, the player will receive two plays for the jackpot only. Check your state’s lottery page to see if it’s offered.
Megaplier
Most states offer a Megaplier feature to increase non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times; it costs an additional $1 per play.