The Mega Millions lottery game has reached a new milestone as the jackpot for Tuesday night’s drawing soared to an estimated $1.58 billion, making it the largest in the game’s history and one of the biggest lottery prizes ever in the U.S.
How to Play Mega Millions
Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery game that is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets cost $2 each and players have to pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. They can also choose to have the terminal randomly select the numbers for them with the Easy Pick or Quick Pick option.
To win the jackpot, players have to match all six winning numbers in the drawing. There are also nine other ways to win smaller prizes, ranging from $2 to $1 million. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24, while the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million.
Players can also opt for the Megaplier feature, which costs an extra $1 per play and can multiply non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, or five times. The Megaplier is drawn from a pool of 15 balls before each regular Mega Millions drawing.
The Winning Numbers for August 8
The winning numbers for Tuesday night’s drawing were 32, 19, 13, 33, and 20 and Mega Ball 14. The Megaplier was 2X.
However, no ticket matched all six numbers, which means the jackpot will roll over to the next drawing on Friday night. The estimated jackpot for Friday is $1.7 billion, with a cash option of $838.7 million.
This is the second time this year that the Mega Millions jackpot has reached over $1 billion. In January, a ticket sold in Michigan won a $1.05 billion prize, which was the third-largest in the game’s history.
The Largest Jackpots in U.S. History
The current Mega Millions jackpot is tied with a $1.58 billion Powerball prize that was won by three tickets in California, Florida, and Tennessee in January 2016 as the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.
The second-largest jackpot was a $1.537 billion Mega Millions prize that was won by a single ticket in South Carolina in October 2018.
The third-largest jackpot was a $1.348 billion Mega Millions prize that was won by a single ticket in Maine in January 2023.
The fourth-largest jackpot was a $1.337 billion Mega Millions prize that was won by a single ticket in Illinois in July 2022.
The fifth-largest jackpot was a $1.08 billion Powerball prize that was won by a single ticket in California in July 2023.
What to Do If You Win the Jackpot
If you are lucky enough to win the Mega Millions jackpot, you have two options: take the cash lump sum payment or the annuity option, which offers one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that grow by 5% each time.
The cash option for Tuesday’s drawing was $783.3 million, while the annuity option was $1.58 billion.
However, you will not receive the full amount of either option, as taxes and other deductions will apply. According to USA Today
You will also have to decide whether you want to remain anonymous or go public with your win. Some states allow winners to claim their prizes anonymously, while others require them to reveal their identity. You may want to consult with a lawyer or a financial adviser before claiming your prize.
Finally, you may want to think carefully about how you will spend or invest your money wisely. Many lottery winners have ended up losing their fortune or facing legal troubles due to poor decisions or bad luck.
