Mega Millions $1.28B Jackpot Won, Winning Ticket Sold in Illinois

Posted on: July 30, 2022, 08:26h.

Last updated on: July 30, 2022, 03:14h.

Mega Millions has finally been won after 29 drawings without a jackpot winner.

Last night’s $1.337 billion annuitized jackpot was hit by a single ticket purchased in Illinois. The winner will have the option of collecting the full jackpot value through an immediate payment followed by 29 annual distributions, or taking a one-time lump-sum cash option of $780.5 million.

The cash option is equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool. Both options are pre-tax.

Friday’s winning numbers were 13-36-45-57-67 and the gold Mega Ball 14. The Megaplier was 2x.

Along with the $1.337 billion jackpot winner in Illinois, Friday’s draw saw 26 tickets match all five white balls to win the game’s second-tier prize of $1 million. Six of those tickets purchased the $1 add-on Megaplier to double their win to $2 million.

Another 375 tickets matched four white balls and the Mega Ball to win $10,000. Sixty-eight of those tickets had the Megaplier to take their wins to $20,000.

Record Remains

The $1.337 billion Mega Millions draw was the game’s second-largest jackpot in history.

With the jackpot hitting last night, the 2018 record Mega Millions jackpot of $1.537 billion won in October of 2018 by a ticket sold in South Carlina stands. It’s the largest lottery prize ever won by a single ticket in US history.

The largest lottery jackpot in the nation’s existence occurred in January 2016 when a $1.586 billion Powerball prize was split three ways.

Last night’s winner has yet to come forward, as winners of such new fortune are advised to first consult a financial advisor and/or legal expert before moving forward.

We’re eager to find out who won and look forward to congratulating the winner soon,” said Ohio Lottery Director Pat McDonald, who currently serves as lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium.

The winning ticket for last night’s draw was sold at the Speedy Café Speedway in Des Plaines, Il. For selling the winning ticket, the gas station will receive a $500,000 bonus commission.

Jackpot Breakdown

The $1.337 billion winner will never see anywhere close to the advertised jackpot money.

If the winner picks the 30-year annuity, they will collect approximately $28.11 million a year after the federal government takes its 37%. That equates to about $843.4 million.

Illinois is in the majority of states in being a state that levies a tax on lottery winnings. The state takes 4.95%, further reducing the annuity to $25.9 million a year, or about $777.24 million in total.

If the winner chooses the cash option, which is typically the preferred distribution for such life-changing lottery wins, the one-time sum is reduced to $491.75 million after the federal tax. The pot is then further cut to about $453.11 million after Illinois takes its share.

Mega Millions now resets to $20 million for the August 2 drawing. The odds of winning the jackpot never alter at a measly one in 302.5 million chance.

Top 5 Mega Millions Jackpots

$1.537B 10/23/2018 — 1-SC
$1.337B 7/29/2022 — 1-IL
$1.05B 1/22/2021 — 1-MI
$656M 3/30/2012 — 3-IL, KS, MD
$648M 12/17/2013 — 2-CA, GA

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