Current:Home > ScamsWho won the $810 million Mega Millions jackpot in Texas? We may never know.-LoTradeCoin
Who won the $810 million Mega Millions jackpot in Texas? We may never know.
View Date:2025-01-11 15:13:05
Someone in Texas has won the $810 million Mega Millions game, making them the third Mega Millions jackpot winner of the year. But we may never know who bought the winning ticket in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land and scored a very sweet win.
The winner has the option to claim the prize anonymously because the Lone Star State allows winners of jackpots of over $1 million to keep their identity a secret.
"We are beyond thrilled to celebrate Texas’ largest-ever jackpot winner and can’t wait to meet and congratulatethem in person,” Ryan Mindell, executive director of the Texas Lottery, said in a news release announcing the winning ticket.
Texas is one of 17 states that allows national lottery winners to remain anonymous. The list of states includes Illinois, where a Mega Millions winner took advantage of the state's anonymity laws earlier this year.
Here's what else to know.
Feeling Lucky? Explore the Latest Lottery News & Results
Where Mega Millions winners can remain anonymous
- Arizona: Prize must be over $100,000
- Arkansas: Prize must be over $500,000 and a winner is only anonymous for three years
- Delaware: Any prize
- Georgia: Prize must be over $250,000
- Illinois: Prize must be over $250,000
- Kansas: Any prize
- Maryland: Any prize
- Michigan: Prize must be over $10,000 in state-run games only
- Minnesota: Prize must be over $10,000
- Mississippi: Any prize
- Missouri: Any prize
- Montana: Any prize
- New Jersey: Any prize
- North Dakota: Any prize
- South Carolina: Any prize
- Texas: Prize must be over $1 million
- Virginia: Prize must be greater than $10 million
- West Virginia: Prize must be over $1 million
- Wyoming: Any prize
What is the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever?
The jackpot won Tuesday night was not one of the top five largest prizes of all time. The top five are:
- $1.602 billion from one winning ticket in Florida in August 2023
- $1.537 billion from one winning ticket in October 2018 in South Carolina
- $1.35 billion from one winning ticket in January 2023 in Maine
- $1.34 billion from one winning ticket in July 2022 in Illinois
- $1.12 billion from one winning ticket in March 2024 in New Jersey
What are the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot?
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are long. Players have a one in 302,575,350 shot at winning the grand prize, a one in 12,607,306 shot at winning the $1 million prize and a one in 24 chance of winning any prize.
How to play Mega Millions
Tickets to Mega Millions cost $2 per play.
There are nine total ways to win a prize, from the jackpot to $2.
To play, pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. You can choose Easy Pick or Quick Pick to have the terminal randomly pick numbers for you. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in the drawing.
What is the Megaplier?
Most states offer the Megaplier feature, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four and five times.
It costs an additional $1 per play. Before each regular Mega Millions drawing, the Megaplier is drawn. From a pool of 15 balls, five are marked with "2X," three with "4X" and one with "5X."
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.
veryGood! (2814)
Related
- Inspector general finds no fault in Park Police shooting of Virginia man in 2017
- Wolverines threatened with extinction as climate change melts their snowy mountain refuges, US says
- A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hits near Barbados but no damage is reported on the Caribbean island
- Elton John to address Britain’s Parliament in an event marking World AIDS Day
- Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies
- A Florida woman attempted to eat fake money as she was placed under arrest, police say
- After a flat tire, Arizona Cardinals linebacker got to game with an assist from Phoenix family
- Oil prices and the Israel-Hamas war
- Alexandra Daddario shares first postpartum photo of baby: 'Women's bodies are amazing'
- The Hilarious Reason Why Dolly Parton Only Uses Fax and Not Text Messages
Ranking
- Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, gets engaged to girlfriend Amanda Dubin
- Argentina’s president-elect announces his pick for economy minister
- 28 White Elephant Gifts for the Win
- Rosalynn Carter honored in service attended by Jimmy Carter
- Why the US celebrates Veterans Day and how the holiday has changed over time
- You can only watch it here: Exclusive release of Netflix's trailer USWNT 'Under Pressure'
- Small plane crashes into car on Minnesota roadway; pilot and driver suffer only minor injuries
- How can we break the cycle of childhood trauma? Help a baby's parents
Recommendation
-
Georgia lawmaker proposes new gun safety policies after school shooting
-
Retirements mount in Congress: Some are frustrated by chaos, and others seek new careers — or rest
-
Harry Jowsey Gifts DWTS' Rylee Arnold $14,000 Bracelet as They Spend Thanksgiving Together
-
Customer sues Chopt eatery chain over salad that she says contained a piece of manager’s finger
-
A herniated disc is painful, debilitating. How to get relief.
-
US mediators reject attempt by flight attendants to clear the path for a strike at American Airlines
-
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hits near Barbados but no damage is reported on the Caribbean island
-
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hits near Barbados but no damage is reported on the Caribbean island