$940 million Mega Millions Jackpot is the 6th largest in US history

The golden age of lottery jackpots has arrived after regulators changed the number of lottery balls and increased the odds of winning.

The latest win was $940 million in the Mega Millions Jackpot drawn on Friday, making it the sixth-largest prize in US history.

Comes within 2 months after the player joins the club California He won a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, as well as $1 billion worth of lottery tickets in early 2022 and 2021.

Players seem to be repeatedly given the chance to win big prizes, but this is due to the math and harder odds.

“It’s thrilling to see the Mega Millions jackpot grow throughout the year-end and now into the New Year,” said the Ohio lottery director, who also oversees the Mega Millions games. Led by Pat McDonald, said: ABC News.

In the fall of 2017, lottery authorities approved changes to Mega Millions, significantly extending the odds from 1 in 258.9 million to 1 in 302.6 million.

They made similar changes to Powerball in October 2015, worsening the odds from 1 in 175.2 million to 1 in 292.2 million.

The idea was that by making the jackpot less common, ticket revenue could increase week after week, creating huge prizes that would capture the attention of players and attract more.

In August 2021, Powerball also added a third weekly draw. This allowed the jackpot to roll over and grow even more rapidly as people had more opportunities to play and lose.

However, Mega Millions is sticking to the twice-weekly draw. The move has seen him nine of the top ten lottery winnings since 2017.

The latest win was the $940 million Mega Millions Jackpot drawn on Friday, making it the sixth-largest prize in US history.

In the fall of 2017, lottery authorities approved changes to Mega Millions, significantly extending the odds from 1 in 258.9 million to 1 in 302.6 million.

Advertised jackpot winners often agree to receive an annuity over 29 years.

Winners almost always choose the cash option. This will take him to $483.5 million in Friday’s lottery, with more than a third of his winnings going to federal and possibly state taxes.

Speaking to lottery participants at Riverside Red X, a large grocery and liquor store in Missouri, he told ABC News that the prize money could change their lives.

Parkville’s Karol Palmer said he would “pay it all off” and take care of his three children and seven grandchildren if he wins the Mega Millions award. An 80-year-old woman said she would also buy a house by the lake.

“It may not work [the lake house] Considering my age, it’s been a very long time,” she said.

“But I may live to be 100. I need to dream a little.”

Kansas City’s Alvin Brockington said his priorities are paying bills, helping his family, buying a home for his mother, and traveling.

He said he had a sister in California he hadn’t seen in 30 years, so he would bring the whole family to see her.

“Then I got down on my knees and asked God to lead me to those who really needed help,” he said.

“It is said that money is the root of all evil, but in reality it is the person who has the money, who they are and how they spend it.”

Pat McDonald, director of the Ohio Lottery, which also heads the state lottery that oversees Mega Millions games, said it was “thrilling” to see the Mega Millions jackpot grow.

Brockington, a retired railroad worker, said he also plays other lotteries. Noting that the Powerball jackpot is also in the hundreds of millions of dollars, he laughs and says, “I’ll take it. I’ll take a million dollars in any game. I’m not greedy. It would still go a long way.” .

Meanwhile, Robert Bowling, 70, of Kansas City, said he would find a good organization to help those in need after sharing the prize with his family.

“It’s all about sharing. If you have that much money, you have to spread it,” he said.

according to Associated Press The 10 biggest US jackpots won from 2016 to date have been won by Californian players.

On November 8, 2022, one California ticket won $2.04 billion in the Powerball lottery.

On January 13, 2016, the Powerball won three tickets to California, Florida and Tennessee, bringing in a whopping $1.586 billion.

A lucky South Carolina player won the $1.537 billion Mega Million, which was drawn on October 23, 2018.

Meanwhile, the $1.337 billion won in the July 29, 2022 Mega Millions draw was won by a single ticket from Illinois.

On January 22, 2021, one Michigan ticket won the $1.05 billion Mega Millions jackpot. That same year, a Maryland ticket and a California ticket won $731.1 million and he $699.8 million, respectively, in Powerball prize money.

On March 27, 2019, a person from Wisconsin drew the winning tickets to the $768.4 million Powerball, and one ticket from Massachusetts won a $758.7 million Powerball on August 23, 2017. We have drawn the winners from

On October 27, 2018, two tickets from Iowa and New York were drawn to win the $687.8 million Powerball.