The Mega Millions lottery is one of the most popular lotteries in the United States, with millions of people participating in the draws every week. The reason for its immense popularity is the huge jackpots that the lottery offers like the recent $1.58 billion jackpot won in Florida.
People love the Mega Millions lottery because it gives them a chance to win life-changing amounts of money with just a small investment. It is a game of luck, and anyone can win, regardless of their background or financial status. The thrill of purchasing a ticket and waiting for the results to be announced is what draws people to the lottery.
To know more about the game, keep on reading!
Can You Buy Mega Millions Online?
For those interested in purchasing Mega Millions tickets, there is an option to do so online. However, there’s a catch! it is important to note that this option is only available to residents of specific states.
These states include Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, it is necessary to first register with the relevant lotteries in the aforementioned areas.
Purchasing Mega Millions tickets online provides the chance to win incredible prizes. The drawings occur every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. ET, and tickets are available up to 15 minutes before the drawing. If one is fortunate enough to win the jackpot, there is a choice between receiving the prize as a cash option or an annuity option.
The cash option provides a lump sum equal to the cash in the prize pool, while the annuity option pays out the prize money in installments over a set period of time. It is a decision that should be considered carefully, as each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.
How to Play Mega Millions?
To play Mega Millions, players can choose six numbers from two separate pools of numbers. They can select five different numbers from 1 to 70, known as the white balls, and one number from 1 to 25, called the gold Mega Ball. Alternatively, they can opt for Easy Pick/Quick Pick. The jackpot is won by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.
At present, the starting jackpot will be determined by sales and announced before each drawing.
Mega Millions offers nine different ways to win a prize, ranging from the jackpot to $2. Players can select five numbers from 1 to 70 in the upper play area or mark the QP (Quick Pick) box and let the terminal randomly select some or all of their numbers.
They can then choose their Mega Ball number from 1 to 25 in the lower play area or mark the QP box for the terminal to select their Mega Ball number randomly. To increase their non-jackpot prizes by two to five times, they can select the Megaplier box, which costs an additional $1 per play. Please note that the Megaplier box applies to all panels and Quick Picks played on the play slip.
If players wish to participate in multiple draws using the same numbers, they can inform the retailer of the number of advance draws they want to play or select the number of draws in the Advance Play section of their pay slip. It is important to review selections carefully as MEGA MILLIONS tickets cannot be canceled.
To play, players should give their completed play slip and payment of $2 per play for MEGA MILLIONS or $3 per play for MEGA MILLIONS with Megaplier to the retailer. They will receive a ticket that displays their numbers, drawing date(s), and the total cost of the ticket. MEGA MILLIONS with Megaplier tickets will show “MEGAPLIER YES.”
Who Won Mega Million?
The Mega Millions lottery draw on Tuesday night witnessed the emergence of a single ticket holder in Florida as the winner of the jackpot, estimated to be worth a whopping $1.58 billion.
The lottery’s official website has confirmed this as the largest jackpot in the history of the lottery. The winning combination of numbers includes 13, 19, 20, 32, and 33, and the gold Mega Ball number 14.
As per the announcement made by the state’s lottery officials, the lucky winning ticket was sold at a Publix supermarket located in Neptune Beach, Florida. This remarkable win surpasses the previous record of $1.537 billion for Mega Millions, which was won in South Carolina in 2018.
The winner of the jackpot has the option to choose between receiving the full amount in annual payments spread over 29 years or opting for a lump sum payment of approximately $783 million, both of which are taxable, as stated by Mega Millions.
It is noteworthy that the all-time record for the largest lottery jackpot still belongs to the $2.04 billion Powerball prize won in California last year.
