By Todd Northrop
Lottery players across the United States will be lining up at lottery retailers for their chance to win Tuesday's massive $458 million Mega Millions jackpot, after nobody won Friday's $421 million grand prize.
The cash value stands at a staggering $274 million.
Tuesday's $458 million annuity jackpot is the 11th-largest United States lottery jackpots of all time, and the 4th-largest in Mega Millions game history. The cash value is the 14th-largest in history. (See full top-25 list below.)
This particular Mega Millions jackpot is a bittersweet milestone for the top-25 list, as it squeezes the final top-25 jackpot of The Big Game out of the list. That jackpot was a $363 million grand prize won by two tickets from Illinois and Michigan on May 9, 2000. It was a ground-breaking jackpot at the time — the first nation-wide ticket buying frenzy, and the event that essentially launched the original BigGameLottery.com website, now known as USA Mega.
The current jackpot has been accumulating for 22 consecutive drawings without a winner. It started on Jan. 9 as a $40 million grand prize.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs.
In the latest Mega Millions drawing that took place this past Friday night, there was no jackpot winner, but 2 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a second-prize win. For one ticket-holder from Texas it is a $1,000,000 payout, but for the other second-prize winner from California it will amount to a whopping $3,238,814 prize.
The difference in payouts for the second-prize winners is due to California's law requiring all lottery payouts to be awarded 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. Sometimes that means a smaller prize than all the other states, especially if there are many California winners, but in this case with a single second-prize winner form the state, the one ticket is awarded the full amount of money allocated for the second prize.
A total of 30 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $10,000 prize. Of those tickets, 6 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing the prize to $30,000, and 4 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $11,377.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, March 23, 2018, were 4, 8, 23, 53, and 59, with Mega Ball number 17. The Megaplier number was 3.
Following the Friday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $37 million from its previous amount of $421 million. The cash value was raised by $24 million, from its previous amount of $250 million.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 44 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 11th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States. That position may rise before the drawing Tuesday night, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.
- Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 - Massachusetts
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $636 million, Dec. 17, 2013 - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Powerball: $559.7 million, Jan. 6, 2018 - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $536 million, Jul. 8, 2016 - Indiana
- Powerball: $487 million, Jul. 30, 2016 - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $458 million, Mar. 27, 2018 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $456.7 million, Mar. 17, 2018 - Pennsylvania
- Mega Millions: $451 million, Jan. 5, 2018 - Florida
- Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $447.8 million, Jun. 10, 2017 - California
- Powerball: $435.3 million, Feb. 22, 2017 - Indiana
- Powerball: $429.6 million, May 7, 2016 - New Jersey
- Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 - California
- Powerball: $420.9 million, Nov. 26, 2016 - Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $414 million, Mar. 18, 2014 - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $393 million, Aug. 11, 2017 - Illinois
- Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
- Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 16
- Mega Millions: 9
Top 25 cash value jackpots
Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.
Looking at the cash value, the upcoming Mega Millions jackpot ranks as the 14th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
- Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
- Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
- Powerball: $352 million cash, Jan. 6, 2018 ($559.7 million annuity) - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($636 million annuity) - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $336.8 million cash, Jul. 30, 2016 ($487 million annuity) - New Hampshire
- Powerball: $284 million cash, May 7, 2016 ($429.6 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $281.9 million cash, Jan. 5, 2018 ($451 million annuity) - Florida
- Powerball: $279.1 million cash, Jun. 10, 2017 ($447.8 million annuity) - California
- Mega Millions: $274 million cash, Mar. 27, 2018 ($458 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $273.9 million cash, Mar. 17, 2018 ($456.7 million annuity) - Pennsylvania
- Powerball: $263.5 million cash, Feb. 22, 2017 ($435.3 million annuity) - Indiana
- Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $254.7 million cash, Nov. 26, 2016 ($420.9 million annuity) - Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $246.5 million cash, Aug. 11, 2017 ($393 million annuity) - Illinois
- Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
- Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $230.9 million cash, Mar. 18, 2014 ($414 million annuity) - Florida, Maryland
- Powerball: $227.8 million cash, Feb. 19, 2014 ($425.3 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 19
- Mega Millions: 9
Thanks again, Todd, et al for posting the rankings of the lottery jackpots, always my favorite.
Played Powerball on big blue IGT machine @ the grocery store where I normally don't play. Gave her a big rub down on her sides, who cares what folks thought in the checkout lanes! Sign on her said $10K winner sold here. Well both tickets won $12, not too shabby I suppose.
Now just to win SOMETHING on Mega Millions.
Congratulations on your wins and the new system for luck.
When you rub the upper arms of a winner some luck will run off on to your hands.
Couldn't rub the machine @ the store in S. Lake Tahoe. I did find a big IGT machine like the KY one only different color so didn't play that one. Tickets good through April!
Never met a lucky winner and don't think they'd appreciate any arm rubs from me...lol. Leave that for inanimate objects or my dog.
So, last night the Mrs asks me. “ The jackpot is 300 mil to 1 right?” I say yeah, so? She says, given the US population is over 300 mil, it would be similar to playing out of SFO to the East Coast at night. Having the winning ticket or 2, and then somewhere along the way, opening up the window* right, dropping one ticket, an hour or two later dropping the other.Then hoping someone down there picks one or both of them up? I looked at her for probably 10 seconds and said - lm going to bed, goodnight!
Redd55 - I loved watching Liza Minnelli back in the day. Thank you for posting that. :)
It's rather poetic that MM will be the game to push the last BigGame win out of the top 25. Love seeing that! I wonder how long it will be until the top 25 are all over 500M (well ok, that would be at least another 13 or so wins... but I mean time-wise)
Hmm, maybe I can reinvest my Publisher's Clearing House check of 10$ in MM tickets. Let it ride!
I already lost $15.00 trying to win Mega Millions. I'll wait until it reaches $500 million to play again.
The #25 Annuity to be squeezed out will be PB: $365 million, Feb 18, 2006 - Nebraska.
There is a video on Amazon titled, LUCKY, that mentioned the eight winners who worked at a meat processing plant in Lincoln, Nebraska. I hope that all eight are healthy, wealthy, and still wise. Each winner got $15.5 million after taxes.
Also profiled on LUCKY are James Gatzke, Robert Uomini, William Bud Post, Verna Waters and Quang V. Dao.
If it rolls on Wed, good chance it will hit $500 Million on Saturday.
Redd Mega Millions draws on Tuesday and Friday nights at 8:00 p.m.-weshar75
$15.00- what a loss, that’s gotta hurt. l feel your pain.
l too hope that some, if not all of these winners are still alive, wise, wealthier & most of all, healthier. it’s been said that most lottery winners are broke within 10 years, let’s hope these guys are not in that category. The culprit is called “ Sudden Wealth Syndrome “- you were never around money before, and then suddenly you the caretaker of millions of dollars. What to do with all of this wealth, what to buy, if not smart enough,you head to the edge, the edge of despair & ultimately ruin. I hope none of that ever happens to a jackpot LP member.
Now that we can afford to play after our win on the MN Gopher 5, we're in it for a few lines.
Jack my Pot.