Record Mega Millions Jackpot Goes to Florida
On Tuesday night, a lucky player won the largest jackpot in the history of Mega Millions - $1.602 billion. The winning ticket was sold in Florida.
The grand prize had rolled for 31 consecutive drawings, having previously not been won since April 18.
It jumped up from $1.35 billion in the previous draw, setting a new record for the biggest prize to have ever been offered in Mega Millions. The historic draw generated a rush for tickets across the U.S., and one lucky player became a billionaire.
The winning numbers were 13, 19, 20, 32 and 33, with the Mega Ball 14. In total, there were over 7 million winners across the different prize categories, so make sure to check your tickets in case you are one of them too.
Seven more players became millionaires in a remarkable drawing. Five players managed to match five numbers without the Mega Ball and they won $1 million each. The tickets were sold in California, Pennsylvania, Texas (two) and West Virginia. Another two players - from Florida and North Carolina - matched five numbers with Megaplier and won $2 million.
At the moment, it is too early to know when the prize will be claimed and who exactly is the winner. It has been revealed that they purchased their ticket from a Publix at 630 Atlantic Boulevard, Neptune Beach, Florida, 32266, which is located around 15 miles east of Jacksonville. The lucky player has 180 days to come forward.
Making Mega Millions History
The winner now takes their place in Mega Millions history, with the largest prize to be won. The previous record belonged to a player from South Carolina, who claimed a jackpot worth $1.537 billion anonymously in October 2018.
The latest winner will need to make some important decisions once they contact the lottery to validate their win.
After they claim it, they’ll need to choose between taking the prize as a cash lump sum worth $794.2 million or as annuity payments which will be spread across 30 years. Go to the Jackpot Analysis page for more information.
To be able to take the money as a lump sum, they will need to make their claim within the first 60 days, otherwise they will have no option but to take the annuity.
Lottery winners in Florida cannot remain anonymous long-term. However, if the big winner chooses, their name will remain exempt from public disclosure for 90 days after they claim the money.
Now it’s your turn to be the next jackpot winner! The jackpot has been reset to its base level of $20 million, with a cash lump sum worth $9.9 million for the next drawing on Friday, August 11 .
On the other hand, the Powerball jackpot hasn’t been won since July 19 and is now worth $170 million, with a cash value of $83.4 million. If you want to enter either of them or maybe both, grab a ticket now and try your luck!
Published: Wednesday, August 9, 2023Updated: Wednesday, August 16, 2023