Mega Millions players across the nation can finally rejoice! After a suspenseful three-month hiatus, the lottery produced a whopping $560 million jackpot winner in Illinois on Tuesday night. This marks the ninth-largest prize in the game’s history.
The winning numbers were 19, 37, 40, 63, and 69, with the Mega Ball coming in at 17. Interestingly, this lucky winner, who remains anonymous, purchased their ticket online – a first for Mega Millions jackpots!
The jubilant winner has the option to receive the full $560 million spread over 30 years, or take a one-time cash payout of approximately $264 million (pre-tax). This historic win also highlights Illinois’ policy of allowing winners to keep their identities confidential for prizes exceeding $250,000.
While Illinois celebrates its 14th Mega Millions jackpot win, two other lucky individuals from California and Maryland each snagged $1 million for matching five white balls. Notably, the last Illinois jackpot win occurred in July 2022, when an anonymous trust claimed a staggering $1.337 billion prize.
This win marks the second time in recent history that the Mega Millions jackpot has surpassed the $500 million mark, with the odds of winning remaining a challenging 1 in 302,575,350.
Looking back, the wait wasn’t as long for everyone. In March, a New Jersey resident won a life-altering $1.13 billion jackpot (the fifth largest ever!), but the winner has yet to claim their prize. Interestingly, the winning ticket was sold at a ShopRite Liquor store, which received a $30,000 bonus for the sale. Similar to Illinois, New Jersey allows winners to stay anonymous, and they have up to a year to claim their fortune.
Will the Illinois winner come forward? Will the New Jersey mystery winner finally claim their prize? Only time will tell! One thing’s for sure, the Mega Millions excitement is back in full swing!
