On Tuesday night, a lucky individual in New Jersey became the sole winner of the estimated $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, making it the fifth largest win in the game’s history. This marked the end of a three-month period without a jackpot winner.
The winning numbers for the draw were 7, 11, 22, 29, 38, and the Mega Ball 4. The jackpot amount itself was the eighth largest in U.S. lottery history, and the fifth largest ever for Mega Millions. The current record for the largest Mega Millions jackpot stands at $1.602 billion, won in August 2018 by a single ticket sold in Florida.
Another record was set earlier in U.S. lottery history when a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot was won in California in February 2023.
Winners of the Mega Millions jackpot can choose between receiving a lump sum cash payment or having their winnings paid out over 30 years in annual installments. Only those who opt for the annuity option receive the full jackpot amount. For the Tuesday night draw, the estimated lump sum payment before taxes was $537.5 million.
While Mega Millions drawings take place on Tuesday and Friday nights, Powerball drawings occur on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights. As of Tuesday night, the Powerball jackpot was estimated to be $865 million.
To win the Mega Millions jackpot, players must match all five white balls as well as the yellow Mega Ball. However, smaller prizes are available for matching some, but not all, of the drawn numbers. The odds of winning a Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24, while the odds of hitting the jackpot are slim, at just 1 in 302,575,350.
Mega Millions tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A standard ticket costs $2, and additional fees can be paid to increase the payout for non-jackpot prizes.
The next Mega Millions drawing, scheduled for the following week, will have an estimated jackpot of $20 million, which serves as the starting point for the new jackpot series.