Posted on: August 2, 2023, 09:30h.
Last updated on: August 2, 2023, 09:30h.
The Mega Millions jackpot continues to elude players, with no winning ticket matching all six numbers for the past 30 consecutive drawings.
The winning numbers from last night’s drawing were 8-24-30-45-61, with the gold Mega Ball being 12. While over 4.9 million tickets won various prizes, no one managed to beat the steep odds of 302.5 million to claim the jackpot.
Last night’s Mega Millions jackpot reached $1.1 billion, the advertised prize based on the winner choosing the full value through a 30-year annuitized payout. The cash sum amounted to $550.2 million.
With no winner, the jackpot will continue to grow for the 31st time. Mega Millions officials anticipate the jackpot to reach approximately $1.25 billion for the drawing on Friday, August 4. The estimated cash value is $625.3 million.
“There’s always an air of excitement around the country when Mega Millions jackpots soar,” said Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin, who is also the lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium. “The growing jackpot is a source of entertainment and winnings for players while generating important dollars for the good causes supported by each lottery.”
Corbin expressed gratitude to players and retailers for their ongoing participation while emphasizing responsible play.
Life Changing Prizes for Some
Despite no jackpot winner, seven fortunate players matched all five white balls and won the game’s second-tier prize of $1 million. The odds of matching five white balls are more than one in 12.6 million.
One of the winners had purchased the optional $1 Megaplier, which potentially multiplies the prize. With the Megaplier landing on 4x, the $1 million prize quadrupled to $4 million for the lucky ticket sold in Texas.
While Texas does not tax lottery winnings, federal taxes will reduce the $4 million payout to approximately $2.52 million after a 37% deduction, which is the highest tax bracket for individuals earning $578,126 or more in a year or $693,751 for joint filers.
Additionally, there were 135 tickets that matched four white balls and the gold Mega Ball, winning the third-tier prize of $10,000. The odds of matching four white balls and the Mega Ball are about one in 931,000.
Out of those 135 tickets, 28 had the Megaplier option and won $40,000 each.
For those who did not win, Krispy Kreme is offering a promotion where anyone who shows a losing Mega Millions ticket from last night’s drawing will receive a free donut. This offer is only valid today, August 2, and each customer is entitled to one free donut regardless of the number of losing tickets presented.
A Top-Ranked Jackpot
The estimated $1.25 billion jackpot for Friday’s Mega Millions drawing is the fourth-richest prize in the history of the game. Throughout its 27-year existence, there have only been three jackpots larger than the current one.
If the jackpot is not won on Friday, Mega Millions will come closer to its all-time record of $1.537 billion, which was won on October 23, 2018.
The winning ticket for that record jackpot was sold in South Carolina, a state that allows winners to remain anonymous. The ticket was redeemed anonymously in early March 2019.