By Todd Northrop
The Mega Millions jackpot has risen to an estimated $180 million for the next drawing in the multi-state lottery game after nobody won Tuesday night.
Although the Friday night grand prize will not set any records, it continues to be the largest Mega Millions jackpot in the past 5 months. The last time the Mega Millions jackpot was this high was a $414 million jackpot won by two ticket-holders in March.
(See 2 winning Mega Millions tickets sold in Florida, Maryland to split $414M jackpot, Lottery Post, Mar. 19, 2014.)
The lump-sum cash option of the Friday jackpot is $107 million.
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot is the accumulation of 15 consecutive drawings without a top prize winner. The current jackpot run-up started on July 1 as a $15 million grand prize — it has been almost two months since Mega Millions has had a jackpot winner.
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 New Jersey and 1 from South Carolina.
Neither of the second-prize winners purchased the Megaplier for an extra $1. If they had, their prize would have been doubled to $4,000,000, since the Megaplier number drawn Tuesday evening was 4. The Megaplier offers players a chance to multiply non-jackpot prizes by the random Megaplier number drawn that evening for an extra $1 per play.
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 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 37 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $5,000 prize. Of those tickets, 5 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing their prize to $40,000, and 6 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $6,371.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, August 18, 2014, were 22, 39, 56, 67, and 71, with Mega Ball number 15. The Megaplier number was 4.
Following the Tuesday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $20 million from its previous amount of $160 million. The cash value was raised by $11.6 million, from its previous amount of $95.4 million.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 43 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $1 each.
A 44th Mega Millions state will be added next week, as the state of Wyoming has set a start date of Aug. 24 for Mega Millions ticket sales, with its first drawing of participation on Aug. 26.
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega minutes after the drawing takes place.
Climb Baby- we know you got it in you!
Congratulations to all the other winners. .
Are we doing a throwback to the 90's
articles about jackpots in the $1xx million range
$180 million
Stores Will Have Lines Lined Up State To State Friday. Lol
I Bet The Jackpot Will Be Around 2XX Mill By Then.
Good Luck Everyone!!!!!
I wish a friend of mine would win it so he could move and leave the bad situation he's in
Maybe you will WIN then you can give your friend some money
A very nice & tidy sum, if I must say!
The cash value which is $107,000.000.00 is what dreams are made of.
Dream on!
I got a dollar and a dream.
$1 extra could mean $4M extra. Go for it!
Hang on to that dollar and you can continue to dream.
When the JP gets up this high, I like to figure how much money could be made on the money owed to Uncle Sam in April - the difference between the 25% initially taken out and the 14.6% remainder (adding up to 39.6% total) I just did a quick calculation considering making "only" 1% on that sum and figuring 6 months worth of interest - giving a little time to get everything ready before claiming the prize - and it would be close to $80k before taxes. Some people could probably make more and it would be less with a jumbo CD (several). Like I said, these were quick calculations and if nothing else, prove that a winner should get some good, reliable financial advice before claiming.
I've mentioned this before in here, but that $42+ million taken out of your winnings will fund the federal govt. for a little over five minutes. (or pay the interest on our debt for about ten minutes)*
*Those figures are a couple of years old - the numbers today would be even more depressing.
It really does not matter to me whether the jackpot is at current level or at $15 million. I always have a play in no matter the jackpot amount since I believe the jackpot amount has no bearing on my chance of winning, but having a play in for every drawing does give me at least one chance to win. If you do not play while jackpot is below a certain level, then you might just have lucked up and bought winning quick pick at $40 million Powerball level or your numbers may have come due at $36 million Mega Millions level. It is one thing to have a limited budget that does not allow one to play every drawing...I get that. But to rationalize that fact and limit self to only buying above a certain jackpot amount may make sense to that person, but it makes no sense to me. For example, if I knew I could only afford to play $5 a week on lottery, then I would have to accept not being able to play every drawing of Mega Millions if I made decision to play both Powerball drawings that week or vice versa.
I need to win because my ex wants to see me thrown in jail. But if I win, I will be able to resolve this small matter and then send her postcards of all the wonderful and exotic places I will travel to this winter.
How thoughtful of you, thanks hmw, Id give you some too
Exactly Oldschoolpa.
You don't get to choose when you might win. That's up to luck and fate. I could retire on the minimum jackpot, so I'm in every draw.
If I don't have a ticket for the drawing, the chance of my dream of winning a lottery jackpot coming true is zero.
If you have long lines in Kentucky, it probably means chewing tobacco went on sale.
True, when it comes to winning a lottery jackpot dreaming isn't enough you have to spend some money.
I'll be spending a couple of dollars Friday and dreaming too and it won't be the first time and probably not the last.
Dear God,
I'm not saying I deserve to win but could you help me win this $180 million Mega Millions Jackpot please?
I swear I'll be good and do good things with the winnings.
I know your busy with all the things going on in this world so I appreciate any consideration you could give to this matter.
Amen,
Golfer1960
PS...God you I hope you know my real name and address.
True, But I think anybody who won the minimum jackpot right after a big/record jackpot was won would think why couldn't it be one draw sooner? Da*n you lotto gods! Lol
mightwin,
One of the best posts I ever saw here on LP was someone said (sorry, I forget who) what would be ideal would be to hit the minimum jackpot right after someone had won a big one but not claimed it yet.
I would be ok with that. It would be enough to live out my life in retirement, but fly under the radar of beggars.
and so the jackpot rollsover and continues to climb. I dont usually keep track of these big jackpots but I guess I can keep an eye on this one.
$1 Mega Millions ticket increases your chances of winning to 1 in 259 Million.
WOO HOO!!! PARTY IN THE HOUSE!!
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!
Only got the Mega ball for a dollar payout. Used the winning proceeds to buy Friday's Mega Millions.
Playing every Mega Millions drawing increases your chances of winning the jackpot?
$180 Million
The true amount is about $60,000,000. I'll pass. :) Call me up when it gets to the big Benjamin.
I can get by on 60 mil. Instead of calling anyone I think Ill just try to win it for myself.
64.28, by my calculations. I could not only get by, but do just about anything I've ever dreamed of doing and there probably would be a pretty nice sum to leave to my nieces/nephews when I kick the bucket.
Again, this is up there where the amount after the initial 25% is taken out and what will need to be paid come Tax Day is substantial., about 16 million. You could make a decent amount on that in interest in half a year, more than enough for me to buy that BMW I've always wanted.
I just bought my tickets for this weekend's drawings and was shooting the breeze w/ the cute young clerk at the store and she said if she won, she'd give a bunch of it away. I explained to her the limits on giving and how much it would be taxed over a certain amt. It made her jaw drop...and then I told her how much estate taxes would have to be paid on it if/when she died. She shook her head and said "We need a another revolution." I told her that might happen, but we could avoid that by electing some honest and fiscally responsible people...for a change.
I really hope that I win more than a dollar on friday like five bucks would be nice or three numbers or two numbers and the mega ball. That way I can have two sodas and a pepperoni stick at circle k on saturday morning. But knowing me I will buy oregon lotto with the money to see if I can win another jackpot. If you see five or ten or fifteen come up as mega ball on friday night you know weshar75 is rich hopefully more than a dollar rich too.-weshar75
If it rolls tonight it will be $201 million, then the fun will begin. Good luck to everyone and hang on to your hats
I've done my workout and come up with some combinations to play, now all I have to do is buy the tickets. Good luck to those who do.
I have been dreaming to win a lottery for so many years
I didn't add the mega plier. I wonder if I'll be cursing at my rotten luck of winning only $1,000,000. I hope to be cursing at my rotten luck
I WON, I WON!!!!!
Well I had 74 and the Mega Ball 3
I won $2.00!!!!! I bet a dollar and won two.
I'm on the right track.
There was a winner. We've gone the spring and summer without a $300+m prize
California
*collective groan*
Stupid lottery...
From the MM website:
$180 million jackpot won in California
RELEASE DATE: 8/23/2014
The estimated $180 million Mega Millions jackpot ($107.1 million cash option) was won in California on August 22, 2014. A single ticket matched all six numbers in the drawing � the white balls 5, 31, 34, 41 and 74 plus the Mega Ball of 3.
The winning ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven store in Calimesa, Calif. It marks California's second jackpot winner this year, following a $30 million prize won in Los Angeles on April 4.
In addition to the jackpot winning ticket, the August 22 drawing produced a $1 million Match 5 winner in Pennsylvania. It was that state's fourth Match 5 winner since Mega Millions was relaunched last October, including a $5 million prize on January 3 thanks to the Megaplier option.
We may never see another big jackpot again
never is a very long time. Maybe a matrix change or $5 tickets or both are in order? I don't know.....
I hope no one ever wins the jackpot ever from this day forward, so tired of it getting hit
I haven't played the lottery in at least a couple years. I would like to play, but only in a state where I can be anonymous.
A few months ago I was ripped here for talking about how MM and PB are rigged for Cali and NY.
Eventually you guys will realize I'm right and stop wasting your money on these two jackpot games.
Congratulations
California...yeah f*ck them, those a$$holes keep winning my Mega Millions!
Well there's only one solution here, kick both of those states out of PB & MM!
And there went the hopes of a BILLION dollar jackpot. New matrix has failed. We'd be lucky if the JP reaches 70 millions after taxes with this new matrix. In its 1 year anniversary coming up they should scrap it.
California AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!
I get ripped for that too.
Actually this would be californias 7th win this year for MM's not 2nd! Check out the mega millions website.