By Todd Northrop
The multi-state Mega Millions lottery game once again enters the spotlight, as lottery players across the United States will vie for a Mega-jackpot Tuesday that promises to radically change one lucky winner's life.
After nobody won Friday night's Mega Millions drawing, the $201 million jackpot 'rolled over', and the new estimate for Tuesday's drawing is a massive $241 million.
The cash value — the most important factor for many jackpot-watchers — stands at a staggering $170.9 million.
Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 15 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on Jan. 27 as a $12 million grand prize.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs.
In the latest Mega Millions drawing that took place this past Friday night, there was no jackpot winner, but 7 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $250,000 prize: 3 from California, 2 from New York, and 2 from Texas.
The 3 California winners will each be awarded prizes of $326,163, because California awards all prizes in a pari-mutuel formula, which calculates the prize amount based on the number of tickets sold and the number of winners in each prize category.
The Friday Mega Millions winning numbers were 28, 29, 43, 51, and 53, with a Mega Ball number of 7. The Megaplier was 3.
Players who purchase the Megaplier for an extra $1 per ticket can have their non-jackpot prizes multiplied by the Megaplier number drawn that evening. For example, for Friday night's drawing, players who purchased the Megaplier and won a $10,000 prize would have their prize multiplied by 3, and would win $30,000.
After it was determined that there were no jackpot-winning tickets in Friday's drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $41 million from its previous amount of $200 million. The cash value was raised by $25.5 million, from its previous amount of $145.4 million.
The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Tuesday evening at 11:00 pm EDT.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 42 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
For a complete set of game descriptions, results, history, and all questions regarding Mega Millions, lottery players are encouraged to visit USA Mega (www.usamega.com), a Web site that caters to the Unites States's two multi-state lottery games, Powerball and Mega Millions.
The Mega Millions winning numbers will be published at USA Mega minutes after the 11:00 pm EDT drawing.
Sounds good!!
Tuesday is such a long time away, I believe I will simply be the sole winner of tonight's powerball drawing instead... either that or someone from Rhode Island will win. :)
It will have been worth the wait. I know have another 41 million reasons to celebrate on Tuesday evening. Thanks everybody for your
generous contributions. You shouldn't have.....really.
$241 Million sounds good to me....
I can live with it.
241 sounds good for today mebbe 412 hmmm... well if i can't win the jackpot i guess i'll settle for a pick 3, str8!
Alrighty then. Let's do it! $241/$171 looks like a lucky number for someone. Good luck everyone!
Looking forward to Tuesday. I'm leaving Florida on Monday morning to head home to Chicago. I have a friend who buys me tickets every ten drawings for Mega Millions and mails them to me since they don't play it here. I play the same numbers. Since I'm driving back I'm going to buy two quick picks in every state I pass through on the drive back so I'll hit it up in GA, TN, KY, IN and then I'll grab two quick picks in IL to go along with my regular numbers so I'll be an $11.00 donator this drawing. It would make for a great story if I won on one of my road quick picks.....well, at least for me.
Gonna cash in my $3 winner and hope to be the big winner on Tuesday
and I'd like to thank you all for you kindly given donations .....
special thanks to those spending $5 + dollars a play
Well, here we go!
At least $111,000,000 after taxes here in Pennsylvania!
Good luck to all. May your dreams come true. As for me, only 2 tickets....
Good luck to everyone.
Way to go! $3 is better than $0!
I hope that you have 5 numbers on Tuesday!
I am going to go "Green" the conservative way ............ with money!
I don't plan on spending any more money than usual for Tuesday's big win .....................
may the blessed saints preserve us all if rdg or psykomo wins
Yes $241 million dollars is alot of money, however we all know because the lottery is rigged they will have 1 winning ticket in either california or ny.
Wasn't the last winner from Georgia ????....let me check...YEEEUP, sure was.... gotta remain positive and believe
Please, Please, ........Please.....let it be RI just one more time!!! That "little" state deserves a "big" break.
Nothin will be rigged if that happens, just good old fashioned Rhodie Karma.
I'm already there!
(Rhode Island 95 South into oncoming traffic)
Mac, have you been playing out on 93 0r 95 AGAIN ????..... stop, go to the nearest store, pick the right numbers, then share with meee
SH*T!! Just checking my pockets CD, NO CASH on me.
Let me see if I can bum some money from some of these nice motorists, I'll get back
to you with those lucky numbers.
Gatta run now. 
Have you ever considered the idea that you may be "rigged"?
I won $3 so I will take that and add it to my other money and buy 3 ex tra tickets for next draw..I am claiming it NOW!!
Good Luck everyone!!
I hope your right about that winning ticket.
Good luck RedStang!, hope NY produces a "rigged" winner.
LOL true
Wait a minute, isn't that where Dorothy was from? The Wizard of Oz couldn't pull it off back in "36", but I think your time is due now Kansas!!!
Kansas has ruined their karma by not making Toto their official state dog. What were they thinking.
Well,jump in your car and drive to Georgia.They have more than their share of winners.
C'mon TRP..... Go visit a relative in another state and get an advance play ticket like I do...or have them buy one with advanced draws for ya....I am sure you have trustworthy relations someplace that sells the MM, well, maybe not from NJ in construction.
That's a lot of money! I'll take some but all of it is just too much. Imagine....wow.
Maybe too much for you,but I haven't seen a jackpot that was too much for me.The more the better!
I would like to win this one for Oregon and thank all the little people who bought tickets along the way. For making this jackpot the best it could be for me to win. Yes! I think that it is Oregon's time to have another jackpot and mega millions is it. Thank you oh yes thank you no no thank you!-weshar75
Too bad with Florida not having any state taxes owed. You could drive to georgia, but not sure if you would owe them state taxes on the winnings.
Thanks All, but not driving to Georgia from Orlando with these gas prices. Did I mention that I hate this $2.00 Powerball? MM is a better buy with a better cash option.
I agree that MegaMillions is the best bang for your buck.I look for Powerball to rethink their decision to double the price of a ticket.
Mega is the better game payout wise to boot. I'm happy to be heading home to Chicago as that's the game I prefer. I don't like paying two dollars for a ticket, it's nonsense.
Not saying this or the PB jackpot is mine but when an LP blogger wins let's make the agreement that he/she will pay homage to HRH Todd and the LP Royal Family. We don't have to know who you are on here but just want to know that one of us finally HIT BIG!!!!
Deal?
Could be that since MUSL took charge of both games, they are no longer competitors but seeking different markets. If the MM sales increased and sales amounts of PB stayed the same with the higher price and PB eventually have larger jackpots which will attract both markets then it's a win-win situation for MUSL.
time for a little road trip to delaware to buy that winning ticket
I think I'm gonna play about 20 qp's have my family each fill out a couple tickets then I'm gonna play my favs and try to play some high % numbers as well. I want this one bad. If I win, Everyone at LP gets a scratchie book on me
When did MUSL take charge of mega?
We are dreamers inluding me too.
We need good luck to be the winner.
Wishing Good Luck to all of us
Connecticut guys hit for the big one late last year, then the old lady from Rhode Island hit it last month.
Next stop; Massachusetts.
I'm waiting to see what happens.
If I take the annuity option can I avoid state tax if I move out of the country for the rest of the payments?
That would be a resounding ,"NO"......gotta pay state taxes where you bought the ticket from unless that state has no state taxes
I think it's when they came to the agreement to let states sell both games.
So if I win 200 million but take the annuity option and move to Switzerland I have to pay the state I purchased the ticket in for 25/26 years???? Some states on the East Coast are making out like a bandit on all these lottery wins
That is correct...If the state you bought the ticket in has state income tax on lottery winnings, then you have to pay state AND federal income tax over the life of the annuity AND file a state income tax return & federal income tax return each and every year of the annuity...That's why the cash option means you only pay the feds one time and the state one time for the tax year
I wonder if you can save on taxes this way.
You take the annuity option.
Part of that payment is interest.
Interest is accrued when you are in Switzerland not your state.
The perfect storm would be the ticket to be SOLD in MA and PURCHSED by a RI'er!
Just take the cash and run. Forget the annuity.
Annuity = bad choice #1 for a jackpot winner.
AGREED!!!!
Would it be a bad thing if an LP member won and everyone knew who they were?
You think that person would be hounded with inbox messages?
Searching4luck.....tell ya what, since you are still bent on the annuity issue ..take a look at all the Powerball winners and ALL the Mega Millions winners and see how many of them took the annuity versus taking the cash......wonder how many of them talked to financial advisers before accepting the jackpot ?? 2/3rds, 1/2 ??? I think those folks probably took their accountants advice and TOOK THE CASH !!!!!!...but like any winner, its yours to do with what you please....Best of luck in tonight's and future drawings...
I seen that my daughter was so sad because all the kids in her school colored pictures and sent them to Rep. Timmer.
There are actually some very good articles looking at Yield Curves that suggest that the annuity is better - not taking into account the interest question that I posted.
I presume you don't know the answer to my question and thus decided to snark at me. I can snark back and say take a look at their broke asses years later to see how well their financial advisers advised them.
It is a simple tax question and you don't know the answer.
So , instead of ridiculing me ponder whether you can get out of paying taxes to the state if you take the annuity. 30 million interest at 9% tax savings is more than some jackpots.
Absolutely! but you know what , it wouldn't bother me a bit !
This is gonna stall PB sales till it hits. Just under $118 million cash in Ga. I'll be playing MM tuesday. If you win, when you quit Would you be a $%& to your boss cause whats he gonna do fire you?, or just leave quietly cause you don't want any attention?
Guess that would depend on the boss.....being civil and leaving quietly would be the smart thing to do
....you can always sit back on a beach or in the mountains someplace and smile. 
You know the coworkers would be saying,"he never said a word, I am suprised he never told me" ....send em a post card from Hawaii
ooOOoo I can try to sound intelligent! ready? ok! Taxes now vs. taxes then. It's not really a question of that, as much as a question of whether you believe that you will make better long term investment choices than the return you would receive via: the annuity. Example: you are an impulsive person and believe sincerely that glass slippers are about to make a HUGE comeback... and invest ALL your money in this SURE THING. recommendation? take the annuity.
However, should be on a more earth-bound investment strategy, and believe from either track record, or the brilliance in your 'crew' that you assembled after your win, that they can beat the 4%-ish interest rate that the annuity will make long term? then take the lump sum and you will probably, should your after-tax interest rate be 4% - definitely do better than the annuity would.
As far as tax rates go? the tax policies of the US get modified every year at the end of October (why October? is it cooincidence that it is the same time as Halloween? dunno) and those policies can **insert gasp of horror here** be retroactive to the January 1st date of that current year!!! so... annuity wise you are betting on a lower tax rate over time, while lump-sum you are betting that taxes will go up or remain constant.
Are there other factors to take into account? Of course! how about present value of the dollar? (ooOOoo i best wrap this up as I have used up all my 'smart-sounding words')
Good luck and go win win win!
When you take cash, you pay the maximum federal and state income tax rates on nearly all of the dollars (because the U.S. has a graduated tax system). When you take the annuity, more of the money is taxed at zero and lower rates that the maximum rate.
But the BIG reason to consider annuity is that if you take the annuity, then the lottery can invest the money BEFORE taxes. If you take cash, then you end up with about half the money left over to invest. It is tough to invest $100 million and catch up to someone who has invested $200 million. Then you pay taxes on whatever you earn. Of course, you also risk losing it all. The lottery annuity stream is guaranteed. The state takes the risk of loss of the investment.
But, there are good reasons for taking the CASH too. It you are a careful person or have a good place to put the money - usually someplace where you live with it, like your own business - then it can be a good investment. it is also true that taxes are at historic lows and are likely to go up. Interest rates are at historic lows and are also likely to go up. So, one view is that it is best to pay the taxes at the lower rates and decide not to lock in investments at the low rates. But if you are not very good invesetments and tend spend all of your money, then the annuity option may be the best choice.
The other answer is correct. So far, all U.S. district tax courts have held that the state has sufficient nexus to assess an income tax. Moving to a tax-free state or nation makes no difference.
Chuck, I got looking at the total difference on this issue.....if you took the annuity, 241 mil divided by 26 payments.. it turns out to be roughly 9.2 mill a year before taxes....take the 35% federal(current rate now, unknown in the future) and whatever your state tax is..lets say 6% for a combined total of 41% on 9.2 mil, that gives you 5.33 mil a year for 26 payments = 138.73 million which includes the lotteries interest after the next 25 years.....not too shabby, if thats how its done......
Lets go lump sum...171 cash times 35% federal tax(current rate now) and (guessing)6% state tax ( 171 x .41) equals 70.1 in taxes..leaving you with 100 million and change..... I relocate to a state like Florida where there is no state income tax and invest 80 million. I think I could make up the 58 million in less than 25 years including the taxes on my interest.................But, with all that cash in hand at the end of the day...I dont think I would get too stressed if I didnt.
Give a two weeks notice. I don't want them to know I won millions either. The winner could be anybody, so giving a two weeks notice is not going to make them believe it was you who won. Maybe you found a better job? Maybe the doctor said you could no longer work? Maybe it's none of their freaking business? It seems like many winners just don't how to keep their mouths shut. I think I'm going to pass out when I see all six numbers are the same.
Sad, not! The Powerball is always in your corner.
Its true our hero the Powerball is always fighting for you!
Be glad, not sad. Powerball promises to come to your state soon! But you must believe TheRightPrice!
Always take the cash! If the Dems have their way, the tax rate for the "rich" will go up! And the resulting inflation will kill your annuity!
PB gets no consideration from me when I visit a convenience store. Why should I pay $2 for ONE chance to hit $41 million (I only consider cash value) when I could spend the same $2 for TWO chances to hit $171 million? Why I even threw a buck toward Little Lotto that had a jackpot prize of a mere .525 million (or 525K for those who are in denial you need glasses and can't see the decimal point in front of those numbers) last night. IF I win MM come Tuesday, it will indeed be a Super(b) Tuesday for me and certain businesses. Maserati, Bentley, get ready for another cash rich client. No need for any financial advisors to bother soliciting me for any business since I have that covered. Ditto for my legal team, but I will be interviewing accountants who can keep me from suffering same fate as Richard Hatch, Wesley Snipes, Willie Nelson, Jim Thorpe, and believe me when I say I will be keeping my eye on my prize like Oprah lest I end up like Nicholas Cage...but that won't happen since I keep track of where my money is and what is going on with every transaction.
Back to the subject. PBS won't get any additional play from me until MM is hit. Until then, I will just trust the single subscription play I have in for PB. And when the day, hopefully March 20, comes when the ticket in my hands have all matching numbers, I won't have to put in a two week notice since I won't stop working for myself. That is the beautiful thing about being either self-employed or a business owner in that hopefully you are doing something you really enjoy. And I would tell this forum I won....but since I would have to attribute my win to luck, don't expect me to come on here hawking my tried-and-tested system that can help you win "just like me". I think the only valid "system" is to just buy a ticket for every drawing to always give yourself a chance, and I would say that even to a person who may a won various online or scratch-off looters jackpots. Consider someone who has won, say 3 to 7 big lottery prizes...well, ask the person how many times he/she has won NOTHING, and I bet the answer will be, "Thousands of times". So those 3 to 7 wins look not so great and "assured". To clarify that, winning the prize is great, but the chances of winning are not improved by any system.
When I win I am taking the cash since taxes on the wealthy will skyrocket under Obama or any politician who cannot boldly cut govt spending and reform our out of control entitlement programs. I will win and move somewhere where taxes are low.
Future tax rates are the unknown. If US income tax rates go as high as European countries, which is the target 'ideal' to some, then your annuity could be taxed at 50% or more. Your $9.3m annual annuity becomes at best $4.6m before state taxes. And what if inflation goes nuts? Think about the crazy inflation we had back in the 70's, what cost $1 in 1970, cost $44 26 years later. Your $4.6m could be worth $1.1m in 26 years.
And no, you cannot get out of paying taxes to either the state or the feds in those 26 years. You are locked in to the state you bought your ticket for the length of the annuity.
Did someone say glass slippers weren't coming back?
I better go check my investments... 
LOL! America agrees with you, very few people playing PB for last night's draw.
It is SO WEIRD
to pay $2.00 for 1 ticket. It always causes confusion with the retailer where they have to tell you" so you want ONE $2.00 Powerball ticket, right?"
Hopefully, PB will see the light and return PB to how it was.
Better to spend your hard earned money on QP's then on an over hyped "system". Persistence is key. Most big lottery winners as OldSchoolPa
eluded to, have probably played and lost thousands of times before hitting the big one.
My question isn't really about whether annuity is better than cash option . My question is about whether a state can tax you on the INTEREST that is earned after you leave the state when you choose the annuity option. There are all kinds of things that go into picking an annuity over a cash option including factoring in the unknown future...my question pertains to just one aspect of making that choice.
Thus I didn't need that poster to pontificate to me about what other lottery winners have done. Their choices are not relevant.
I just wanted to know if anyone had the answer about the interest and one that is not just a guess.
I would have to pull up in a Porsche 911 turbo S Cabriolet before anyone believed me. If i told them i hit the lotto and was quitting, they would tell me to go back to work.
All pontificating aside......you are taking the annuity option,therefor your payments gradually increase,so the lottery commission includes the interest in that next payment, then the payment after and so on. When that check is sent to you it comes from the state your purchased it in (Indiana)and they get to take state tax(interest included)...because the annuity and lottery paid interest is treated as income earned for that year, you are required to pay state income tax, even if you lived out of the country or another state...... Indiana has a state tax rate of 3.4% and you do the annuity..its going to go like this on annuity.....1st payment check would be (estimating roughly) 7.8 mil minus fed(35%) and Indiana state taxes(3.4%)...the next year the payment increases from 7.8 to lets say 8.1 because of their interest is added to your first payment....You still pay fed and state taxes on the 8.1 mil( base annuity plus interest) because that check is from the state of Indiana lotto commission. The next year the payment goes up to 8.3 and next is 8,5 and so on....so the total plus interest adds up to 241 mil over the 26 years.....Sorry, but you are required to pay Indiana state tax on that interest each year.....
Next situation is you get your first scheduled payment of 7.8 million ..they take out 35% fed tax & 3.4 Indiana state tax..after taxes you clear 4.8 million....you take the 4.8 mill and invest it all.....as long as you claim residency in Indiana it is subject to that Indiana state income tax rate of 3.4 %....if you move to Wyoming or Florida or Alaska where there are no state income taxes, then no Indiana interest income can be assessed because you don't reside there.
Bottom line is everyone of the 26 annuity checks(that includes lottery paid interest) that is coming from Indiana is always going to be subject to their 3.4% income tax rate no matter where you reside.
Thats why most folks take the lump sum, pay all the federal and state taxes for the current year. They eliminate any future tax increases by the FEDS or in this case the state of Indiana...hope that helps..Good luck in the next jackpot drawing.
Interest or investment income earned on investments you make off lottery winnings is only taxable in the state of your residence. If you take the annuity in Indiana, but then move to Wyoming establising residency, your annual annuity payment is still taxable in Indiana, but earnings off the annuity payments that YOU invest, are taxable in Wyoming. Except that Wyoming does not have income tax.
I'm no tax expert, i even pay someone to file mine,don't want to pay a penny more than i have to.
if you like the idea of an annuity why not take the cash and buy your own or several, why be locked in to one,
you could even get short term and long terms,if you take the lottery's annuity, the state still has a way to get to it,
even if you live in another state that has no income tax,
Suckers take the annuity, if you were to have problems with getting the money at once then you're going to probably have problems with the annuity as well and top it off, you could have more. How many winners have taken the annuity, got into trouble and sold off payments? How many of those people ended up having significant tax problems as well? Lump sum or annuity, a fool and their money will part. The "safety" of the annuity is nothing but an illusion.
The cash option is currently about 70.5% of the annuity, I'd rather take the cash and have all the taxes on the principal taken care of in the first year before rate hikes that ARE going to come and be subject to taxes in a state I would no longer live in over the next 26 years and be at the mercy of the state and federal government's ability to "invest" it and hope the state you won it won't be issuing you an IOU at some point.. Even in this economy it wouldn't take much to beat out the return you'd get from U.S. Government Treasury Securities. Not to mention the ability to move your money out of the dollar if you so choose to.
Besides that, who knows if any of us will even be here 26 years from now.
Maybe if you pulled up in this car, there would be no questions asked:
I think it's about time Wisconsin win their first Mega Millions jackpot. :) I already turned my $3 winner from Friday into my Tuesday ticket. Good luck everyone!! :)
I haven't yet decided how I will collect a MM or PB jackpot because I figure my chances of winning one are no better than those here sharing their plans to do so.