The Mega Millions jackpot has soared to a staggering $800 million, sparking excitement among hopeful players eager to try their luck. In some states, laws permit national lottery winners to remain anonymous, meaning the identity of the newest millionaire—potentially the third Mega Millions winner of the year—could stay hidden if they reside in one of those states.
Tuesday’s jackpot surpasses the prize-size thresholds in states with such requirements, allowing winners in those locations the option to stay out of the public eye. Notably, Arkansas shields winners’ identities for up to three years, despite being the sole state offering temporary anonymity.
The previous big winner claimed their prize in June, hailing from Illinois, a state that also allows lottery victors to remain anonymous. The fortunate individual walked away with a massive $552 million without revealing their identity.
Various states across the country have differing rules regarding the anonymity of lottery winners. In Arizona, winners can stay anonymous if the prize exceeds $100,000. In Georgia and Illinois, the threshold is $250,000. States like Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Wyoming permit winners of any amount to remain unnamed. In Michigan and Minnesota, prizes must be over $10,000, while in Texas and West Virginia, the prize must be over $1 million. Virginia requires the prize to be greater than $10 million for the winner to remain anonymous.
While Tuesday’s jackpot is enormous, it does not breach the top five largest Mega Millions prizes. The record-setting jackpots include the $1.602 billion ticket in Florida (August 2023), $1.537 billion in South Carolina (October 2018), $1.35 billion in Maine (January 2023), $1.34 billion in Illinois (July 2022), and $1.12 billion in New Jersey (March 2024).
The odds of hitting the jackpot stand at a daunting one in 302,575,350. For those aiming for the $1 million prize, the odds remain slim at one in 12,607,306. However, players have a one in 24 chance of winning any prize.
Mega Millions tickets are priced at $2 per play. Players must select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25, or opt for Easy Pick or Quick Pick for random selections. The jackpot is claimed by matching all six drawn numbers.
Additionally, many states offer a Megaplier feature, which for an extra $1, can multiply non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, or five times.
Lottery tickets are widely available at gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and some airport terminals. For those preferring to avoid queues, online purchases through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier, are an option in various states and territories, including 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 facilitates number selection, ticket purchases, and prize collection directly from mobile devices or home computers.
