Lotto is still an American obsession, and this is a first…
An Illinois Mega Millions player hit the jackpot on Tuesday night, winning a massive $560 million, marking the end of a three-month dry spell for the game. The winning numbers drawn were 19, 37, 40, 63, 69, with the gold Mega ball 17, placing this win as the ninth-largest in the history of Mega Millions.
Mega Millions player hits $560 million jackpot. Where was the lucky ticket sold? https://t.co/kRe2HYhDJa
— Fresno Bee (@FresnoBee) June 5, 2024
For the first time, the jackpot-winning ticket was sold online, a landmark in the game’s distribution method. This win represents only the fourteenth occasion that a resident of Illinois has captured at least a share of the Mega Millions jackpot, while New York maintains the record with 43 jackpot wins.
The winner has the option to receive the $560 million through yearly payments or opt for a one-time cash payout of $264.0 million. Illinois state lottery regulations provide an option for winners of prizes over $250,000 to keep their identities and residential details confidential.
At $560 million, tonight’s #MegaMillions jackpot is HUGE! A winner tonight would be part of the top 10 largest jackpots in Mega Millions history. Good luck, #NCLottery players! https://t.co/Jj0qGxvjWx pic.twitter.com/KyhWxE8OTB
— NC Education Lottery (@nclottery) June 4, 2024
Additionally, the Tuesday night draw saw two other lucky ticket holders—one from California and another from Maryland—each win $1 million by matching all five white balls. The last time an Illinois player won the Mega Millions jackpot was in July 2022, when an anonymous trust claimed a $1.337 billion prize from a ticket bought in Des Plaines.
This is only the second time since last summer that the Mega Millions jackpot has exceeded $500 million. The odds of securing the jackpot in any drawing stand at about 1 in 302.6 million. The previous jackpot was won on March 26 by a New Jersey player who purchased a ticket worth $1.13 billion, the fifth-largest in the game’s history. That ticket was sold at a ShopRite Liquor in Neptune Township, New Jersey, which earned a $30,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Despite the significant win, no claimant has yet come forward to collect the March jackpot, which can be taken as $1.13 billion in annual installments over 30 years or a one-time lump sum of approximately $537.5 million. Similar to Illinois, New Jersey lottery rules allow winners to remain anonymous and claim their prizes up to a year after the draw.
Major Points
- An Illinois Mega Millions player won a $560 million jackpot on Tuesday night, ending a drought of over three months without a major win.
- This marks the ninth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history and the first time a jackpot-winning ticket was sold online.
- The winner can choose between annual payments totaling $560 million or a one-time lump sum of $264 million.
- Alongside the main win, two other players from California and Maryland each won $1 million by matching all five white balls.
- The last major win in Illinois was a $1.337 billion jackpot in July 2022, making this the second time the jackpot has exceeded $500 million since last summer.
Fallon Jacobson – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
