Half-billion jackpot comes 6 years after first reaching the same level
By Todd Northrop
Six years to the day after becoming the first lottery in history to feature a $500 million jackpot, the multi-state Mega Millions game is right back at the same level, offering a $502 million grand prize to be drawn Friday evening.
During that nascent period in 2012, when the word "billion" first entered lottery jackpot discussions, Mega Millions tickets were being sold so quickly that the lotteries were forced to raise the jackpot estimate nearly every day.
The event was so momentous that Lottery Post's news article announcing the momentous jackpot became the headline news story on the Drudge Report, one of the Internet's biggest news aggregators. (See screenshot below.)
Fast-forward to today, and a lottery jackpot now has to grow to at least $500 million before it can even break into the top-10. (See top-25 annuity and cash value jackpots below.)
Despite the changing perception of what makes a big lottery jackpot, the simple fact is that the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game currently boasts a swelling jackpot of more than a half-billion dollars that could instantly put someone among the wealthiest people on the planet.
It has taken 23 drawings without a jackpot winner to get to this point. The current jackpot run-up began Jan. 9 as a $40 million prize.
Friday's $502 million jackpot is the 4th-largest in the game's history, and the 10th-largest United States lottery jackpot of all time.
The lump-sum cash value of $301 million is the 11th-largest on the all-time US lottery jackpot cash value list.
Lottery players wondering what all the cash will look like in their bank account after federal and state taxes are taken out can see an after-tax analysis of the current Mega Millions jackpot by visiting USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page.
The rush of ticket sales over the next few days likely will propel the jackpot to an even higher amount before the drawing takes place Friday. Lottery Post and USA Mega will update the jackpot tallies displayed if such an increase occurs.
In Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 2 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from Illinois and 1 from New Jersey.
Unfortunately, none of the second-prize winners purchased their ticket with the Megaplier option for an extra $1 per play. If they had, their prize would have been increased to $3 million, because the Megaplier number drawn was 3.
The Megaplier option is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered with the Megaplier is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts. By law, California awards all lottery prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level.
Also, a total of 42 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $10,000 prize. Of those tickets, 3 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing the prize to $30,000, and 6 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing was $9,056.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, March 27, 2018, were 7, 25, 43, 56, and 59, with Mega Ball number 13. The Megaplier number was 3.
Following the Tuesday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $44 million from its previous amount of $458 million. The cash value was raised by $27 million from its previous amount of $274 million.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 44 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 10th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States. That position may rise before the drawing, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.
- Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 - Massachusetts
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $636 million, Dec. 17, 2013 - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Powerball: $559.7 million, Jan. 6, 2018 - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $536 million, Jul. 8, 2016 - Indiana
- Mega Millions: $502 million, Mar. 30, 2018 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $487 million, Jul. 30, 2016 - New Hampshire
- Powerball: $456.7 million, Mar. 17, 2018 - Pennsylvania
- Mega Millions: $451 million, Jan. 5, 2018 - Florida
- Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $447.8 million, Jun. 10, 2017 - California
- Powerball: $435.3 million, Feb. 22, 2017 - Indiana
- Powerball: $429.6 million, May 7, 2016 - New Jersey
- Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 - California
- Powerball: $420.9 million, Nov. 26, 2016 - Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $393 million, Aug. 11, 2017 - Illinois
- Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
- Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 16
- Mega Millions: 9
Top 25 cash value jackpots
Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.
Looking at the cash value, the upcoming Mega Millions jackpot ranks as the 11th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
- Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
- Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
- Powerball: $352 million cash, Jan. 6, 2018 ($559.7 million annuity) - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($636 million annuity) - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $336.8 million cash, Jul. 30, 2016 ($487 million annuity) - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $301 million cash, Mar. 30, 2018 ($502 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $284 million cash, May 7, 2016 ($429.6 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $281.9 million cash, Jan. 5, 2018 ($451 million annuity) - Florida
- Powerball: $279.1 million cash, Jun. 10, 2017 ($447.8 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $273.9 million cash, Mar. 17, 2018 ($456.7 million annuity) - Pennsylvania
- Powerball: $263.5 million cash, Feb. 22, 2017 ($435.3 million annuity) - Indiana
- Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $254.7 million cash, Nov. 26, 2016 ($420.9 million annuity) - Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $246.5 million cash, Aug. 11, 2017 ($393 million annuity) - Illinois
- Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
- Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $230.9 million cash, Mar. 18, 2014 ($414 million annuity) - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $227.8 million cash, Feb. 19, 2014 ($425.3 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 16
- Mega Millions: 9
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Now that jackpot fever has started, It will probably be hit on Friday. Just hope I having a winning ticket or tickets. Good luck everybody!
$301 million cash... give Uncle Samuel his 37%... $189 Million + change take home .... Yeah, I can live on that
You know when you look at this list it's so weird to see that some annuities have a higher cash prize while being in itself a lower amount for instance the 2016 MM (#6 for Cash) has a lower annuity amount than the #9 2013 MM even though the 2013 was a whole 100M (annuity) greater. Anyways I believe this jackpot will see a winner for Friday in Maryland or Tuesday VA.
Cool! I'll head over to Maryland to get a ticket there too! Thanks for the heads up where it will win.
Keep contributing to the jackpot folks, I promise to give a Heart felt thank you when I go to claim it.
Uh just remember that I'm saying that I THINK ( or perhaps in some mysterious way I know....dun...dun.....dunnnn) that is where the next winner we be from. 1/46 of a chance for each day :D
The $1M winning ticket that was sold in IL was sold at a Shell station on the south side of Rochelle. That's only a block or so from where my grandparents lived for decades :) Ive been to that station dozens of times, even re-met one of my childhood friends there that I'd been out of contact with for like 10 years! Hopefully somebody in that neighborhood was the lucky winner and not a passer-by on the interstate
Now is the time to play PB :-)
About $15,200,000 after taxes...
I would be more than happy to ride off into the sunset if I won PB or Cal SuperLotto ($7.7 million) tonight.
What has not escaped my notice, is the fact that most of the recent winners and 2nd prize awards have gone to individuals in States East of the Rockies. Meaning: The next jackpot win is coming out of a State West of the Rockies.
Yeah, you know it, but are afraid to say it out loud. But, l understand.
I remember I was a new lp member when the Jackpot was that high 6 years ago. Crazy and entertaining times with Mirlande claiming she hid the ticket at McDonald's, etc. Still the best crazy lottery story and event ever! So many nuts were posting claiming they won that jp. Never since has a jp stirred up the crazies on that level.
That actually reminds me of the time some woman from Ohio cleveland suburbs claimed that she had also lost a ticket cant really remember the exact date but her step daughter lived across the street from me at the time. I was still a child so I had no idea what was actually going on nor did I understand the seriousness of her claiming to loose the ticket. What I do remember is that after the true winners came forward the family was super embarrassed.
As a edit to my last post her name was Elicia Battle. Next time Im in Cleveland I should link up with my old neighbor so we can laugh about this
lolol.. Thanks for the reminder A... That woman was nuttier than an an outhouse rat... I had forgotten all about her... that was 6 years ago already ? Man is time flying by.