Mega Millions Jackpot Is Fifth-Biggest in History
Monday July 24th 2023Less than a week after someone from California won a Powerball jackpot of more than $1 billion, attention is turning to Mega Millions and another chance to land one of the largest lottery prizes of all time.
The jackpots for both multi-state games had been building side by side for almost three months, with Powerball always just edging ahead as it is drawn three times a week.
But following the $1.079 billion payday for a Powerball player from Los Angeles last Wednesday, Mega Millions now stands alone in offering a grand prize worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The estimated jackpot for Tuesday night is $820 million, making it the fifth-biggest ever seen in Mega Millions history. One or two more draws without a winner and it will pass the $1 billion mark again.
No other lottery has awarded as many $1 billion jackpots as Mega Millions - not even Powerball. It first reached ten figures in October 2018, when an anonymous player from South Carolina pocketed $1.537 billion, and has also paid out more than $1 billion in each of the last three years.
Most recently, in January, a player from Maine claimed $1.35 billion through a limited liability company called LaKoma Island Investments LLC. This success sparked a run of jackpot wins through the early part of 2023, with six top prizes paid out in less than four months.
Since a $20 million win in New York on April 18, however, the jackpot has remained out of reach and has only been going upwards.
Anyone who wins on Tuesday will have to decide whether to take the $820 million as an annuity, or go for the cash sum of $422 million. Depending on which state they live in, they may be able to stay private or their identity may be disclosed.
Either way, it is a jackpot to excite lottery fans in all 47 participating jurisdictions, so make sure not to miss out on the opportunity to try and win. After the draw takes place, you can view the results on the Mega Millions Numbers page.
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