WASHINGTON — We have a winner! A lottery ticket purchased in Texas is now worth $800 million, after matching all five white ball numbers and the gold ball to secure the Mega Millions jackpot Tuesday night.
The ticket was sold at a Murphy USA gas station in Sugar Land, Texas, outside of Houston.
Additionally, four tickets won $1 million prizes by matching all five white ball numbers, without the jackpot-winning gold ball. Those were sold in California, Florida, New York and Washington.
Who won the Mega Millions jackpot?
It's still unknown who bought the jackpot ticket, and it's possible we never will. Texas is one of the states that allows lottery winners to remain anonymous, which is often a good idea for the winner.
The rising prize was a result of a winless streak in the lottery game for the past few months. The jackpot was previously last won in Illinois on June 4 with a ticket valued at $552 million.
For Tuesday's drawing, the cash option was $404.2 million.
Only two other Mega Millions jackpots have been won this year. Before the Illinois winning ticket, a $1.1 billion winning ticket was purchased in New Jersey in March. That prize is still unclaimed. Winners in New Jersey have one year to claim their winnings.
Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024
The winning numbers were 1-2-16-24-66, Mega Ball: 6 Megaplier: 4X.
When a winner matches all five numbers and the Mega Ball, they have the option to take the full jackpot paid out as an annuity over 30 years, or a smaller lump sum cash payout. Winners almost always take the cash option.
The cash option for Tuesday's drawing was $404.2 million.
Players who match only the first five numbers win at least $1 million.
Tickets are sold in 45 states, Washington, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are conducted at 11 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. Tickets are $2 each. Half of the proceeds from the sale of each Mega Millions ticket remains in the state where the ticket was sold.
The odds of winning the jackpot are one in more than 302 million. The overall odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24.
The top Mega Millions jackpot ticket — $1.6 billion — was sold in Florida in August of last year.
What time is the Mega Millions drawing?
Mega Millions drawings take place on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
What are the largest US lottery jackpots ever won?
- $2.04 billion: Powerball - Nov. 7, 2022
- $1.76 billion – Powerball - Oct. 11, 2023
- $1.586 billion: Powerball – Jan. 13, 2016
- $1.58 billion: Mega Millions – Aug. 8, 2023
- $1.537 billion: Mega Millions – Oct. 23, 2018
- $1.35 billion: Mega Millions - Jan. 13, 2023
- $1.337 billion: Mega Millions - July 29, 2022
- $1.326 billion: Powerball – April, 6, 2024
- $1.13 billion: Mega Millions - March 26, 2024
- $1.08 billion: Powerball – July 19, 2023