Lottery ticket sold in Illinois wins $560 million Mega Millions jackpot

Jun 5, 2024, 9:36 am (34 comments)

Mega Millions

Winning ticket purchased online

By Todd Northrop

After a run of 19 drawings without a jackpot winner, the 20th drawing of the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game produced a single $560 million winner last night when one ticket sold in Illinois matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball.

The winner will now have to choose between being paid $560 million in 30 annually-increasing payments over 29 years or the lump-sum estimated cash value of $264 million.

According to USA Mega's Mega Millions Jackpot Analysis, after all federal and Illinois state taxes are paid, the winner either will receive $326.3 million by the end of 29 years, or $153.3 million in cash all at once. Illinois has a 4.95% state tax rate.

The massive Mega Millions haul is the 25th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States, and the 41st-largest cash value ever awarded. (See full top-25 list below.) It is also the 9th-largest jackpot won in Mega Millions history.

According to officials, the ticket was purchased online through the Illinois Lottery — the first time in history a Mega Millions jackpot was won through an online purchase.

Because Illinois allows lottery winners to claim jackpots anonymously, we may never learn the identity of the claimant.

Lottery Post maintains a list of every state's anonymity policies for lottery winners, and Lottery Post published a comprehensive video presentation about each state's anonymity laws.

The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, June 4, 2024, were 19, 37, 40, 63, and 69, with Mega Ball number 17. The Megaplier was 3.

Fortunately, even if you didn't win the jackpot, the Mega Millions game still offers another 8 ways to win lower-tier prizes. One player from Maryland won a second prize of $1 million by matching the first five numbers minus the Mega Ball, and another player from California won $285,828 for accomplishing the same feat.

27 tickets matched four white numbers plus the Mega Ball and won $10,000. Of those tickets, 4 were purchased with the Megaplier option, increasing the prize to $30,000 and 8 of the tickets were purchased in California with a prize amount of $4,950 each.

In total, 944,853 tickets won prizes across the game's nine prize tiers in Tuesday's drawing.

A complete list of payouts for all prizes and the official drawing video can be found at USA Mega's Mega Millions Drawing Information page, as well as at Lottery Post's Mega Millions Prize Payouts page.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million.

With the jackpot being won Tuesday, the next Mega Millions annuity jackpot estimate for the drawing on Friday, June 7 is reset to its starting point of $20 million.

Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 45 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

The following list shows the top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time. The $560 million Mega Millions jackpot won last night ranks as the 25th-largest United States lottery jackpot in history.

  1. Powerball: $2.0401 billion, Nov. 7, 2022 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
  2. Powerball: $1.7649 billion, Oct. 11, 2023 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
  3. Mega Millions: $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023 (31 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Florida
  4. Powerball: $1.5864 billion, Jan. 13, 2016 (19 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - California, Florida, Tennessee
  5. Mega Millions: $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - South Carolina
  6. Mega Millions: $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023 (25 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maine
  7. Mega Millions: $1.337 billion, Jul. 29, 2022 (29 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Illinois
  8. Powerball: $1.3259 billion, Apr. 6, 2024 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Oregon
  9. Mega Millions: $1.128 billion, Mar. 26, 2024 (30 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - New Jersey
  10. Powerball: $1.0798 billion, Jul. 19, 2023 (38 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
  11. Mega Millions: $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021 (36 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
  12. Powerball: $842.4 million, Jan. 1, 2024 (34 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Michigan
  13. Powerball: $768.4 million, Mar. 27, 2019 (25 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Wisconsin
  14. Powerball: $758.7 million, Aug. 23, 2017 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Massachusetts
  15. Powerball: $754.6 million, Feb. 6, 2023 (33 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Washington
  16. Powerball: $731.1 million, Jan. 20, 2021 (35 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Maryland
  17. Powerball: $699.8 million, Oct. 4, 2021 (40 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California
  18. Powerball: $687.8 million, Oct. 27, 2018 (21 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Iowa, New York
  19. Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 (18 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  20. Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 (21 rollovers, starting at $12 million) - California, Georgia
  21. Powerball: $632.6 million, Jan 5, 2022 (39 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - California, Wisconsin
  22. Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 (13 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Florida
  23. Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 (15 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - Arizona, Missouri
  24. Powerball: $564.1 million, Feb. 11, 2015 (20 rollovers, starting at $40 million) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  25. Mega Millions: $560 million, Jun. 4, 2024 (19 rollovers, starting at $20 million) - Illinois

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.

The Mega Millions jackpot won last night ranks as the 41st-largest cash value of all time (not shown in top 25 list below).

  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: $794.2 million cash, Aug. 8, 2023 ($1.602 billion annuity) - Florida
  5. Mega Millions: $780.5 million cash, Jul. 29, 2022 ($1.337 billion annuity) - Illinois
  6. Mega Millions: $776.6 million cash, Jan. 22, 2021 ($1.05 billion annuity) - Michigan
  7. Powerball: $774.1 million cash, Oct. 11, 2023 ($1.7649 billion annuity) - California
  8. Mega Millions: $723.5 million cash, Jan. 13, 2023 ($1.348 billion annuity) - Maine
  9. Powerball: $621 million cash, Apr. 6, 2024 ($1.3259 billion annuity) - Oregon
  10. Powerball: $558.1 million cash, Jul. 19, 2023 ($1.0798 billion annuity) - California
  11. Powerball: $546.8 million cash, Jan. 20, 2021 ($731.1 million annuity) - Maryland
  12. Mega Millions: $536.6 million cash, Mar. 26, 2024 ($1.128 billion annuity) - New Jersey
  13. Powerball: $496 million cash, Oct. 4, 2021 ($699.8 million annuity) - California
  14. Powerball: $480.5 million cash, Aug. 23, 2017 ($758.7 million annuity) - Massachusetts
  15. Powerball: $477 million cash, Mar. 27, 2019 ($768.4 million annuity) - Wisconsin
  16. Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
  17. Powerball: $450.2 million cash, Jan. 5, 2022 ($632.6 million annuity) - California, Wisconsin
  18. Powerball: $425.2 million cash, Jan. 1, 2024 ($842.4 million annuity) - Michigan
  19. Powerball: $407.2 million cash, Feb. 6, 2023 ($754.6 million annuity) - Washington
  20. Powerball: $396.2 million cash, Oct. 27, 2018 ($687.8 million annuity) - Iowa, New York
  21. Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
  22. Powerball: $381.1 million cash, Feb. 11, 2015 ($564.1 million annuity) - North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
  23. Mega Millions: $378 million cash, Jul. 8, 2016 ($536 million annuity) - Indiana
  24. Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
  25. Powerball: $352 million cash, Jan. 6, 2018 ($559.7 million annuity) - New Hampshire

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

  • Powerball: 17
  • Mega Millions: 8

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Lifegoeson008's avatarLifegoeson008

Was this an online win? I saw an article mentioning the ticket was bought online.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by Lifegoeson008 on Jun 5, 2024

Was this an online win? I saw an article mentioning the ticket was bought online.

After you read the article above you will have the answer.

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

Congrats to the lucky winner(s). Enjoy your newly acquired wealth for many generations.

Bleudog101

Wonder if that lucky person will get an email telling them to contact the Illinois lottery?   That's an email this once in a while on line player would love to receive.

 

Thanks for putting the paltry sum one California player gets for five #'s...though sometimes it can get up there.

scorpio45

with a credit card online?

noise-gate

* Californian winning $280K,  2nd prize off a $560mil jackpot is insanity. Something needs to be done with that 2nd prize  pay structure.

LooneyGambler

 There was a convenience store that just opened near me, and they were getting their lottery terminal installed, the technician was saying that not all terminals will produce a jackpot winner, and when you hear the ticket being printed, it's an pre-recorded sound to gather attention in the musical tone of C. If you hear the terminal printing the tickets, don't buy them there. Thermal printers are silent.

mightwin1's avatarmightwin1

Quote: Originally posted by scorpio45 on Jun 5, 2024

with a credit card online?

Yes, and if its the same setup as Michigan, which I'm sure it is, they already know who the winner is.

mightwin1's avatarmightwin1

On to Powerball.....lol.  🍻

dickblow

all fixed like the person say second prize winner too all that money for one person too 🙄

PrisonerSix

Congratulations to the winner! I hope they enjoy their winnings and have a happy life.

Lotterologist's avatarLotterologist

Congrats!

Lifegoeson008's avatarLifegoeson008

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Jun 5, 2024

After you read the article above you will have the answer.

*grabs glasses 👓 🤓

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