Will a $2 Mega Millions ticket make you a multimillionaire? It has finally happened to someone. Likely two someones. After months of rollovers, the Mega Millions jackpot, at $395 million with a cash option of $189 million, was drawn on Friday, Dec. 8.
This means the jackpot dropped back down to double digits this week and was $28 million for the drawing on Friday, Dec. 15. Check your numbers!
The winning numbers for the Friday, Dec. 15 drawing were 10-20-28-40-54 and the Mega Ball was 12. The Megaplier was 2x. Those numbers produced a rollover, and a really large jump in what could be Tuesday’s winnings.
The Mega Millions jackpot for Tuesday leaps to $41 million, with a cash option of $20.4 million. There was one big winner from Friday’s drawing. A ticket purchased in Illinois matched 5 for a $1 million prize.
In case you’re wondering, the winning numbers for the Tuesday, Dec. 12 drawing were 8-23-44-45-53 and the Mega Ball was 3. The Megaplier was 4x.
There was one big winner from Tuesday night’s drawing. A ticket purchased in California won a $1 million prize a Match 5 winner.
In other recent lottery news, the Powerball jackpot dropped back down into the millions after one ticket sold in California matched five numbers plus the Powerball in the Wednesday, Oct. 11, drawing, winning an almost $2 billion jackpot. The next chance to play Powerball is 11 p.m. ET Saturday, December 16, though ticket sales stop an hour before the drawing.
Like Powerball, Mega Millions tickets start at $2 apiece.
Below are some frequently asked questions about Mega Millions, Powerball and lottery odds. Good luck!
How much is the Mega Millions jackpot for Friday, December 15?
an estimated $28 million with a cash option of $13.9 million
an estimated $20 million with a cash option of $9.5 million
an estimated $395 million with a cash option of $189 million
Where can I buy Florida lottery tickets?
Florida Lottery tickets cannot be purchased by mail, fax or online. There are more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers here, the site states.
I bought a Mega Millions ticket in another state. Can I cash in my winnings in Florida?
No. Mega Millions prizes must be claimed in the state where the ticket was purchased, the Florida Lottery says.
I bought Powerball ticket in another state. Can I cash in my winnings in Florida?
No. Powerball prizes must be claimed in the state where the ticket was purchased, the Florida Lottery says.
When do Florida lottery tickets expire?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it. Florida Lottery says its scratch-off tickets and Fast Play game prizes “must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date. Once the applicable time period has elapsed, the related Florida Lottery ticket will expire.”
What happens to the unclaimed prize money?
According to the Florida Lottery, state law requires 80% of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The remaining 20% is returned to the prize pool for future drawings.
What happens to unclaimed Mega Millions prize money?
Should a Mega Millions ticket not be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date, “the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series.”
What happens to unclaimed Powerball prize money?
Should a Powerball ticket not be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date, the Florida Lottery site states, “the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series.” According to Powerball’s site, “unclaimed prizes are kept by the lottery jurisdiction. If a Grand Prize goes unclaimed, the money must be returned to all lotteries in proportion to their sales for the draw run. The lotteries then distribute the money, based on their own jurisdiction’s laws, to other lottery games or to their jurisdiction’s general fund, or otherwise as required by law.”
What are the odds of winning Mega Millions?
According to the Mega Millions website, you have a 1 in 302,575,350 chance to match all five white balls plus the gold Mega Ball. Prizes range from $2 (for matching the Mega Ball) to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
What are the odds of winning Powerball?
Powerball drawings are held at 11 p.m. EDT Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. According to Powerball.com, players have a 1 in 292.2 million chance to match all six numbers. Prizes range from $2 to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
Are the odds of winning Powerball the same if the jackpot is $1 billion?
Players have a 1 in 24.9 chance of winning a prize, powerball.com states. Players have a 1 in 292.2 million chance to match all six numbers whether the jackpot is $20 million or $1 billion.
Can Florida lottery winners remain anonymous?
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site states, since May 25, 2022, the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.
What is the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history? Who claimed $2.04 billion Powerball prize?
The largest lottery prize ever climbed to $2.04 billion in November. The jackpot was an estimated $1.9 billion days before the drawing, but lottery ticket sales helped it grow to more than $2 billion after updated calculations. A single ticket purchased in California won the grand prize, and the winner was revealed on Valentine’s Day − Feb. 14, 2023. Edwin Castro won the largest-ever lottery jackpot, and he opted for a lump sum of $997.6 million, just shy of $1 billion, according to the California Lottery.
As of Dec. 15, 2023, there have been nine lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion.
- 9. $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021: A single ticket won in Michigan.
- 8. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023: A single ticket won in California.
- 7. $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022: A single ticket won in Illinois.
- 6. $1.35 billion, Jan. 13, 2023: A single ticket was purchased in Maine.
- 5. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018: A single ticket won in South Carolina.
- 4. $1.58 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023: A single ticket won in Neptune Beach, Florida
- 3. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016: Three tickets won from California, Florida, Tennessee.
- 2. $1.73 billion Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023: A single ticket won in California.
- 1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022: A single ticket won in California.
What are the Top 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever?
According to its website, here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots as of Dec. 15, 2023:
- 10. $536 million — July 8, 2016; Indiana
- 9. $543 million — July 24, 2018; California
- 8. $648 million — Dec. 17, 2013; California and Georgia
- 7. $656 million — March 30, 2012; Illinois, Kansas and Maryland
- 6. $1.05 billion — Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
- 5. $1.08 billion — July 19, 2023; California
- 4. $1.337 billion — July 29, 2022; Illinois
- 3. $1.35 billion — Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
- 2. $1.537 billion — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
- 1. $1.58 billion — Aug. 8, 2023; Florida
What are the Top 10 largest Powerball jackpots ever?
Here are the Top 10 Powerball jackpots as of Dec. 15, 2023:
- 10. $687.8 million — Oct. 27, 2018; Iowa and New York
- 9. $699.8 million — Oct. 4, 2021; California
- 8. $731.1 million — Jan. 20, 2021; Maryland
- 7. $754.6 million — Feb. 6, 2023; Washington
- 6. $758.7 million — Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts
- 5. $768.4 million — March 27, 2019; Wisconsin
- 4. $1.08 billion — July 19, 2023; California
- 3. $1.586 billion — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida and Tennessee
- 2. $1.73 billion — Oct. 11, 2023; California
- 1. $2.04 billion — Nov. 7, 2022; California
What are the Top 10 largest lottery jackpots ever?
The following Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots made the Top 10 biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history, as of Dec. 15, 2023.
- 10. $768.4 million Powerball drawing — March 27, 2019; Wisconsin
- 9. $1.05 billion Mega Millions drawing — Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
- 8. $1.08 billion Powerball drawing — July 19, 2023; California
- 7. $1.337 billion Mega Millions drawing — July 29, 2022; Illinois
- 6. $1.35 billion Mega Millions drawing — Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
- 5. $1.537 billion Mega Millions drawing — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
- 4. $1.58 billion Mega Millions drawing — Aug. 8, 2023; Florida
- 3. $1.586 billion Powerball drawing — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida and Tennessee
- 2. $1.73 billion Powerball drawing — Oct. 11, 2023; California
- 1. $2.04 billion Powerball drawing — Nov. 7, 2022; California
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
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