By Todd Northrop
A rush of lottery ticket sales for the $600 million Mega Millions jackpot has prompted lottery officials to revise their estimate for the Tuesday night drawing to $615 million.
The all-important lump-sum cash value is now estimated to be a staggering $451.8 million.
Tuesday's drawing will be the 34th since Mega Millions had a winner. The current jackpot run-up started on Sept. 18 as a $20 million grand prize.
Lottery players seeking to check the winning numbers Tuesday night are urged to use USA Mega (www.usamega.com). State lottery Web sites are normally sluggish or brought to a standstill during busy periods, while USA Mega normally remains responsive.
Mega Millions drawing results will be posted immediately after the 11:00 pm drawing at USA Mega. The number of winners and new jackpot will be announced after all participating states have reported their data, which normally occurs within a few hours after the drawing.
Tickets sales cutoff times vary by state, so players should check with a lottery retailer in their state for the exact sales cutoff time Tuesday night. Players are strongly advised not to wait until the last minute.
To find the nearest lottery retailer to buy your tickets, head over to the Lottery Places website to download the free app on your iOS or Android phone or Windows computer. Lottery Places is the only app on the market that will locate lottery retailers in every state and jurisdiction throughout the United States.
Some states offer direct online sales too. Michigan residents can bypass the store completely and buy Mega Millions tickets and Powerball tickets online. Texas residents can buy Mega Millions tickets and Powerball tickets online too. Oregon residents have options to buy Mega Millions tickets and Powerball tickets online as well. Note that some of these links will only work properly for residents of the states mentioned.
The odds of winning the jackpot are approximately 1 in 302 million. The odds of winning any of the Mega Millions prizes are 1 in 24.
Mega Millions tickets cost $2 each. For an extra $1 per ticket players can purchase the Megaplier option, which multiplies any non-jackpot won by up to 5 times, depending on the Megaplier number drawn that evening.
The only state that does not offer the Megaplier is California, because state law banning fixed lottery prize amounts is not compatible with the fixed nature of the Megaplier payouts.
Lottery players can see an after-tax analysis of the current Mega Millions jackpot by visiting USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page.
Mega Millions features nine different prize levels, ranging from $2 all the way up to the jackpot. Players can win even if they just match one number — the Mega Ball number.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 8th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States. That position may rise before the drawing, 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 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
- Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
- Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $636 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
- Mega Millions: $615 million, Jan. 12, 2021 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 (13 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
- Powerball: $559.7 million, Jan. 6, 2018 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Hampshire
- Powerball: $550 million, Jan. 13, 2021 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Mega Millions: $543 million, Jul. 24, 2018 (22 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
- Mega Millions: $536 million, Jul. 8, 2016 (34 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Indiana
- Mega Millions: $533 million, Mar. 30, 2018 (23 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $522 million, Jun. 7, 2019 (24 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
- Powerball: $487 million, Jul. 30, 2016 (23 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Hampshire
- Powerball: $456.7 million, Mar. 17, 2018 (19 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Pennsylvania
- Mega Millions: $451 million, Jan. 5, 2018 (23 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Florida
- Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 (12 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $447.8 million, Jun. 10, 2017 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
- Powerball: $435.3 million, Feb. 22, 2017 (18 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Indiana
- Powerball: $429.6 million, May 7, 2016 (18 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $425.3 million, Feb. 19, 2014 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
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 6th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
- Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
- Mega Millions: $877.8 million cash, Oct. 23, 2018 ($1.537 billion annuity) - South Carolina
- Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $476.9 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $451.8 million cash, Jan. 12, 2021 ($615 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $411.4 million cash, Jan. 13, 2021 ($550 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
- 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
- Mega Millions: $340 million cash, Jun. 7, 2019 ($522 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $336.8 million cash, Jul. 30, 2016 ($487 million annuity) - New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $324 million cash, Mar. 30, 2018 ($533 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $320.5 million cash, Jul. 24, 2018 ($543 million annuity) - California
- Mega Millions: $319.9 million cash, Jun. 9, 2020 ($414 million annuity) - Arizona
- 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
- Powerball: $276.5 million cash, Jan. 29, 2020 ($396.9 million annuity) - Florida
- 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
The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 15
- Mega Millions: 10
leaning towards $650mil by tomorrow night? no winners, project manager $715mil for Friday's draw, we will see
615 does has a nice ring to it...Perhaps I will stop and grab another tix..just for S&G......
I won't win the jackpot that I can guarantee you
California is due for a winner & It's still the water!
It's mine all mine. Stimulus check came today, why they didn't direct deposit will never know.
Bought 16 draws of that with Megaplier and Powerball with Powerplay all for free with debit card from Covid-19 trial so all set for eight weeks.
"$650mil by tomorrow night?"
I suspect that when the jackpot is large and we get a buying frenzy that sales get heavier as we get closer to the sales cutoff. If sales were consistent through the whole sales period then after the first day they'd know very accurately what total sales will be when it's all done. Similarly, sales not being consistent makes it harder to make an accurate prediction. That said, I'm sure he lotteries know enough about sales patterns to have a pretty good idea how the pace will pick up.
Of course they really don't want to come up short of their estimate,especially after their $63 million blunder back in October '18. I figure that advertising 615 means they're expecting something along the lines of 620 to 625. If they thought 650 was realistic I think we'd already see an ad for 625 or more.
Of course lottery players aren't always acting sensibly when they buy tickets, so 650 or more isn't out of the question, but I think lottery officials will surprised if it does happen.
Did you get your first stimulus check also by mail ?
Trying to know because I got by mail the first time and what happens this time even though this time I have used my current bank account to file 2019 Tax,I closed my bank account with which I filed 2018 Tax and hence the first stimulus came by mail instead,waiting to see what happens this time
Stimulate me!! Give me both jackpots!
I got you fam:
No, that's what I didn't understand. Same account, tax refund went in there too as well as the first stimulus. If we get another one who knows if it'll be direct deposit like this one should have been!
I was right... so far $615 millions 😂
Bleudog101, the IRS indicated that electronic payments would go to whatever account was listed on citizen's most recently filed arrears tax form year 2019. Thus, even if citizens had no income or no refund due to them from the fed or state, they were carefully and slowly writing in their routing number and checking account number on the first page of those forms. Even if their IRS Forms year 2018 indicated that same bank account information. These filers wanted to ensure no mailings -- which could be delayed and are a waste of taxpayers' money -- were sent to themselves!
Well my distrust for the IRS is showing. I've had the same routing #, same bank, same account since 1997 and this is the first time this has happened to me. ALL refunds have been done through EFT! Perhaps the outdated computers that were plaguing the IRS forever are still there. I just find it unacceptable being the 21st Century. But I'm over it and glad to have some of my money.
Hi!
Re: MM PB this is awesome and I can feel the excitement!!!
Re: Stimulus
Just wanted to let you know I was able to talk to an actual person on the phone at IRS and she explained they experienced a glitch in the system and had to mail most of the checks...even it you had direct deposit already in place (some will have to wait an additional 14 days before getting checks.)