Single Ticket Wins Record $1.5 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot
One of the largest lottery prize of all time was given away last night as a single ticket holder won Tuesday’s $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot. The record-breaking draw had sparked a surge of ticket sales across the country, and the lucky winner received the ultimate return on their investment with a stunning ten-figure payout.
What Were The Winning Numbers?
The numbers drawn were 5, 28, 62, 65 and 70, with Mega Ball 5. There were over 15 million winning tickets across all nine prize tiers, but only one player matched the full line and it was quickly reported that the entry had been sold in South Carolina.
Excitement is already building as fans of the game wait to find out who won. When they come forward to claim their money, they will have to choose between taking the full jackpot amount as an annuity over the next 29 years, or accepting the cash option of around $878 million. They have up to 180 days to come forward, and must also decide whether to go public or stay anonymous, as South Carolina is one of the few states where winners are allowed to keep their identities private.
The jackpot had jumped a staggering amount from its value of $1 billion in the previous draw, and it was estimated that around 75 percent of all number combinations would be entered. Long queues of eager shoppers could be seen at retailers in all 46 participating jurisdictions, and the high volume of ticket sales resulted in the extraordinary number of total prize winners.
The jackpot had been estimated at $1.6 billion but the final figure was revealed to be $1.537 billion, falling just short of the Powerball record of $1.58 billion for any lottery prize but still smashing the Mega Millions record. It also set a new high mark for the largest lottery payout on a single ticket.
How The Record Was Created
It took 25 draws without a winner to create the $1.53 billion jackpot, stretching back to Tuesday 24th July when a pool of 11 Californian financial workers landed $543 million. The top prize grew $5 million between draws at the start and then began to accelerate rapidly, moving from $548 million on Friday 12th October to its final figure in the space of just three draws.
Colossal jackpots have become the norm over the past 12 months, since the format was tweaked in October 2017 to freshen up the game. The number of main balls to choose from was reduced from 75 to 70, but the Mega Ball pool was increased from 15 to 25.
These changes made the odds of winning the second-tier prize better but lengthened the jackpot odds to 1 in 302 million, even longer than those for Powerball. The cost of a ticket was also put up to $2 to help jackpots grow more quickly.
The wait now begins to find out more about the lucky Mega Millions winner. Lotto.net will keep you posted when someone comes forward, while you can look forward to the next $40 million draw on Friday. You can choose your numbers online for either Mega Millions or Powerball, which is currently worth $620 million ahead of Wednesday's draw.