Sixth-largest lottery jackpot in history

By Todd Northrop

After 30 drawings without a jackpot winner, the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game now boasts a cresting jackpot of $1.25 billion that could instantly put someone among the wealthiest people on the planet.

When nobody won Tuesday night's grand prize, the Mega Millions jackpot grew to an estimated $1.25 billion. As huge of a number as that is, the game will undoubtedly require at least one more rollover before it exceeds the largest drawing in Mega Millions game history — a $1.537 billion jackpot in Oct. 2018 that was claimed anonymously by one person in South Carolina.

Readers who follow the link to that jackpot claim may notice an infamous name mentioned, as disgraced "lottery lawyer" Jason Kurland was the attorney chosen by the anonymous winner to handle the prize claim and subsequent investment of the winner's money. Lottery Post published an in-depth video chronicling Kurland's misdeeds and how he stole millions of dollars from the big winner.

Deepening the lore of that particular drawing was the fact that the South Carolina store owner who sold the $1.5 billion Mega Millions ticket was later arrested for tax evasion.

Let's hope this billion-dollar jackpot run is less notorious.

The next chance someone will get to win that enormous pile of cash is Friday night at 11:00 pm Eastern Time (8:00 pm Pacific).

Friday's $1.25 billion Mega Millions jackpot is the 6th-largest lottery jackpot of any game in world history, and the $625.3 million lump-sum cash value stands as the 7th-largest ever (see full list below).

The current jackpot run-up started on Apr. 21 as a $20 million grand prize — it has been over 3 months since Mega Millions has had a jackpot winner.

Lottery players wondering what all the cash will look like in their bank account after federal and state taxes are taken out can see an after-tax analysis of the current Mega Millions jackpot by visiting USA Mega's Jackpot Analysis page.

The rush of ticket sales over the next few days may propel the jackpot to an even higher amount before the drawing takes place Friday. Lottery Post and USA Mega will update the jackpot tallies displayed if such an increase occurs.

In Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing, there was no jackpot winner, but 7 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 2 from California, 1 from Massachusetts, 1 from North Carolina, 1 from New York, 1 from Texas, and 1 from Wisconsin. 

Only one of the second-prize winners — in Texas — purchased their ticket with the Megaplier option for an extra $1 per play, multiplying their prize to $4 million because the Megaplier number drawn was 4. Unlike the Powerball game, Mega Millions applies its multiplier to the second prize. 

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 lottery 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.

The two California second-prize winners will each take home a $650,579 prize. As always, the complete list of California prizes can be found on USA Mega's Mega Millions drawing detail page.

A total of 135 tickets matched four of the first five numbers plus the Mega Ball to win a $10,000 prize. Of those tickets, 28 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing the prize to $40,000, and 25 were sold in California, where the prize awarded this drawing is $7,210.

The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, August 1, 2023, were 8, 24, 30, 45, and 61, with Mega Ball number 12. The Megaplier number was 4.

The complete payout information and official drawing video for Tuesday's drawing can be found at USA Mega's Mega Millions Drawing Detail page, as well as on the Mega Millions Prize Payouts page at Lottery Post.

Following the Tuesday drawing, the Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate was raised $150 million from its previous amount of $1.1 billion. The cash value was raised by $77.7 million from its previous amount of $472.5 million.

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.

Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Tuesdays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time.

Players looking for the nearest official lottery retailer — or maybe just a different store without such a long line — are urged to use the free Lottery Places app available for iOS, Android, and Windows. The app can find lottery stores in every Mega Millions state and can search across state lines — something even official state lotteries can't do.

Some states offer direct online sales, allowing players to bypass the store and purchase tickets from home. States that offer this ability include Michigan (Mega Millions and Powerball), Minnesota (Mega Millions and Powerball), Oregon (Mega Millions and Powerball), Texas (Mega Millions and Powerball), and Virginia (Mega Millions and Powerball). Note that some of these links will only work properly for residents of the states mentioned.

Players outside the USA can use a reputable butler service, which provides scanned copies of the purchased lottery tickets securely held on behalf of the customer. In the past, the lottery ticket service was used by people out side the USA to win big jackpots in Oregon and Florida.

Mega Millions lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com). The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

Friday's Mega Millions jackpot currently stands as the 6th-largest lottery jackpot of all time, and the 4th-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever. Brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.

If nobody wins Friday, it's anyone's guess how high it will go.

1. Powerball: $2.0401 billion, Nov. 7, 2022 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
2. Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
3. Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
4. Mega Millions: $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023 (25 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maine
5. Mega Millions: $1.337 billion, Jul. 29, 2022 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Illinois
6. Mega Millions: $1.25 billion, Aug. 4, 2023 (30 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
7. Powerball: $1.0798 billion, Jul. 19, 2023 (38 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
8. Mega Millions: $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021 (36 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
9. Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
10. Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
11. Powerball: $754.6 million, Feb. 6, 2023 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Washington
12. Powerball: $731.1 million, Jan. 20, 2021 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maryland
13. Powerball: $699.8 million, Oct. 4, 2021 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
14. Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
15. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
16. Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
17. Powerball: $632.6 million, Jan 5, 2022 (39 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California, Wisconsin
18. Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 (13 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Florida
19. Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Arizona, Missouri
20. Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
21. Powerball: $559.7 million, Jan. 6, 2018 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Hampshire
22. Mega Millions: $543 million, Jul. 24, 2018 (22 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California
23. Mega Millions: $536 million, Jul. 8, 2016 (34 rollovers, starting at $15 million) - Indiana
24. Mega Millions: $533 million, Mar. 30, 2018 (23 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - New Jersey
25. Mega Millions: $522 million, Jun. 7, 2019 (24 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California

For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

• Powerball: 14
• Mega Millions: 11

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 7th-largest cash value in U.S. history.

1. Powerball: $997.6 million cash, Nov. 7, 2022 ($2.0401 billion annuity) - California
2. Powerball: $983.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2016 ($1.5864 billion annuity) - California, Florida, Tennessee
3. Mega Millions: $877.8 million cash, Oct. 23, 2018 ($1.537 billion annuity) - South Carolina
4. Mega Millions: $780.5 million cash, Jul. 29, 2022 ($1.337 billion annuity) - Illinois
5. Mega Millions: $776.6 million cash, Jan. 22, 2021 ($1.05 billion annuity) - Michigan
6. Mega Millions: $723.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2023 ($1.348 billion annuity) - Maine
7. Mega Millions: $625.3 million cash, Aug. 4, 2023 ($1.25 billion annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
8. Powerball: $558.1 million cash, Jul. 19, 2023 ($1.0798 billion annuity) - California
9. Powerball: $546.8 million cash, Jan. 20, 2021 ($731.1 million annuity) - Maryland
10. Powerball: $496 million cash, Oct. 4, 2021 ($699.8 million annuity) - California
11. Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
12. Powerball: $477 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
13. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
14. Powerball: $450.2 million cash, Jan. 5, 2022 ($632.6 million annuity) - California, Wisconsin
15. Powerball: $407.2 million cash, Feb. 6, 2023 ($754.6 million annuity) - Washington
16. Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
17. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
18. Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
19. Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
20. Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
21. Powerball: $352 million cash, Jan. 6, 2018 ($559.7 million annuity) - New Hampshire
22. Mega Millions: $349.3 million cash, May 21, 2021 ($516 million annuity) - Pennsylvania
23. Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($648 million annuity) - California, Georgia
24. Powerball: $341.7 million cash, Jul. 30, 2016 ($487 million annuity) - New Hampshire
25. Mega Millions: $340 million cash, Jun. 7, 2019 ($522 million annuity) - California

The number of cash value jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

• Powerball: 15
• Mega Millions: 10