Published on: September 11, 2024, at 08:00h.
Last revised on: September 11, 2024, at 08:00h.
We have a champion. After 27 consecutive Mega Millions drawings without a ticket matching the five white balls and gold Mega Ball, the jackpot finally struck on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Tuesday evening’s winning numbers were 1, 2, 16, 24, and 66, along with the gold Mega Ball 6. The Mega Millions Consortium disclosed Wednesday morning that a fortunate purchase made in Sugar Land, Texas, overcame the more than one in 302.57 million odds to seize the jackpot.
The winning ticket was obtained at the Murphy USA gas station at 7750 Highway 90. The convenience store is approximately 20 miles southwest of Houston.
The winner can select the full value of the advertised jackpot paid out over 30 years through an annuity or receive a one-time cash sum worth $404.2 million.
Tuesday night’s $800 million jackpot ranks seventh in Mega Millions history and 13th in U.S. lottery history. With the jackpot claimed, the Mega Millions jackpot resets to $20 million for its upcoming drawing on Friday, Sept. 13.
No Tax Jackpot
Most Mega Millions and Powerball winners opt for the cash option over the 30-year annuity. However, the Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate, which determines interest rates on the Treasury-backed bonds that Mega Millions and Powerball annuities are based on, has made the decision more intricate.
If the winner from last night chooses the cash prize, their $404.2 million would be diminished by $149.5 million in federal taxes. This would leave the winner with an estimated payout of $254.6 million.
In addition to conquering the life-changing odds, the winner was also fortunate in buying the Mega Millions ticket in Texas. The Lone Star State is one of only eight states that does not tax lottery winnings as personal income and therefore does not take a portion.
Texas being a tax-exempt lottery state means the recipient of the prize will hold onto several million more. In the states that do consider lottery earnings as taxable income, rates range from 2.5% in Arizona to 10.9% in New York. Based on these rates, last night’s winner would have had to pay $10.1 million and $35.6 million, respectively, in extra state taxes.
Tuesday’s jackpot marked the first time that the Mega Millions top prize has been won since June 4 when a ticket sold in Illinois through the lottery’s mobile app won a $552 million payout. Mega Millions’ previous jackpot win occurred on March 26 when a player in New Jersey won $1.128 billion — the lottery’s fifth-largest jackpot ever — though that prize has yet to be redeemed.
Victories on Tuesday
Along with the jackpot, Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing produced over 2.1 million winning tickets across all other prize tiers.
The wins consisted of four tickets matching the five drawn white balls to claim the game’s second-tier prize of $1 million. None of those tickets had the optional $1 Megaplier, which could have quadrupled their payouts to $4 million each.
Forty-seven tickets matched the four white balls and Mega Ball to win $10,000 each. Ten of those tickets included the Megaplier, boosting their prize to $40,000.
Over 1,300 tickets matched the four white balls for $500 each, with 255 tickets having the Megaplier, increasing their award to $2,000. More than 1.36 million tickets matched the Mega Ball to receive back their $2 bet, although 258,153 tickets with the Megaplier gathered $6.