A single Mega Millions ticket sold in Florida matched all six winning numbers on Tuesday night, winning the $1.58 billion jackpot, the largest prize in the game’s history.
After 31 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner, the Florida ticketholder matched all six Mega Millions numbers, which carried the odds of one in 302.6 million. The jackpot came with a cash option of a whopping $783.3 million.
The grand prize winner has yet to be revealed and Florida law states that winners of prizes valued at $250,000 or more are exempt from public disclosure for 90 days unless they consent to the release of their name. However, after 90 days, the winner’s name, city of residence, and amount won is no longer confidential or exempt.
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The numbers drawn on Aug. 8 were 13, 19, 20, 32, 33, and the gold Mega Ball was 14. While there was only one grand prize winner, five tickets - one each from California, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, along with two from Texas - matched all five white balls to each take home the game’s second-tier prize of $1 million.
Two other tickets - one from Florida and one from North Carolina - matched all five white balls with the added Megaplier of 2x, which brought these winnings to $2 million each.
Next drawing is Aug. 11
The $1.58 billion jackpot is the largest in Mega Millions history, surpassing the $1.537 billion jackpot won in October 2018.
According to the Mega Millions website, winners have two options when receiving their winnings. They can take the payout in a lump sum, which is the most common choice, or they can opt for an annuity. The annuity would be paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments, each 5% larger than the previous year’s payment.
The next drawing is scheduled for Aug. 11 at 11 pm ET. The jackpot is estimated to be $20 million with a cash option of about $9.9 million.
To win the jackpot, Mega Millions players must match all six numbers. Mega Millions tickets are sold for $2 each and the game is offered in 45 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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