Mega Millions Announces Historical Jackpot Worth $1.6 B

Mega Millions Announces Historical Jackpot Worth $1.6 B

Posted: Thursday, Oct 25,2018 | Time: 12:02 pm | Edited by: The Lottery Lab Staff

What are the odds that a single Mega Millions ticket matches all six winning numbers? According to the Mega Millions official website, the odds are one in 3 million times. That might seem like impossible odds, but a Mega Millions spokeswoman confirmed that the winning ticket for the largest lottery jackpot ever was sold in South Carolina. The ticket matched the five numbers 5, 28, 62, 65, and 70 along with the Mega Ball drawn on Tuesday night lottery draw, for a jackpot worth $1.6 billion.

Mega Millions tickets are sold in 44 US states including the US Virgin Islands and Districts of Columbia. Several states allow users to make online purchases but strictly forbid out-of-state and foreign ticket selling. Even though tickets are sold on such a large scale, there had not been a top prize winner since late July. As a result, this ticket broke the previous record of a 2016 Powerball Drawing which was worth $1.5 billion. This huge win became possible after nobody managed to win the Friday prize of $1 Billion. The winner can either take an immediate cash payout worth $904 million after taxes or receive installments for the next 29 years.

Mega Millions authorities are thrilled with the results as they have been looking forward to the excitement that such a jackpot generates. States receive a percentage of lottery sales and use those funds to support public schools, public services, and other causes. In the wake of so much lottery excitement, Powerball’s Wednesday drawing offers a prize of $620 million, making it the fifth-largest jackpot in history.