No Mega Millions Winner May 1, Jackpot Now $110 Million — What Are The Odds?
There were no Mega Millions jackpot winners on May 1, so the jackpot is now a whopping $110 million. What are the odds of matching all six numbers, and when is the next drawing?
Friday’s winning numbers were 17, 18, 61, 66, 75 MB 3. The next drawing for the Mega Millions lottery game is Tuesday, May 5 at 11 p.m. ET. The numbers are selected every Tuesday and Friday 11 p.m. ET at WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia.
The odds of winning the jackpot is slim — 1 in 259 million — but never say never. On March 24, one winning ticket worth $58 million was sold in New York. According to CBS New York, 16-coworkers at biopharmaceutical company in Manhattan won the jackpot after purchasing a single ticket at Carlton Cards in Penn Station.
The co-workers at Ophthotech, who call themselves the “Lucky 16 Trust,” split the jackpot, with each of the 16 winners taking home approximately $1.65 million before taxes.
“Lucky 16” coworkers at a Manhattan biotech company won the $58 million Mega Millions jackpot http://t.co/K4yMInjcHRpic.twitter.com/7Q3Nyr8y5y
— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) April 30, 2015
To win the Mega Millions jackpot, you must match all five balls drawn (numbered 1 through 75), and the Mega Ball (numbered 1 through 15). Mega Millions tickets cost $1 each and can be purchased at lottery retailers in 44 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Non-jackpot prizes range from $1 for matching the Mega Ball, to $1 million for matching five numbers, but not the Mega Ball.
How much will you take home if you win the $110 million Mega Millions jackpot on May 5? A one-time lump-sum payment would be equal to approximately $69 million before taxes. Winners can also choose an annuity, which consists of one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. According to the official Mega Millions website, each annuity payment is five percent bigger than the previous one.
“The Mega Millions annuity is paid out as one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. Each payment is 5% bigger than the previous one. We used to pay the jackpot in equal installments, but players expressed concern that the cost of living would be increasing while their payments were not. We changed to payments that increase each year to help protect winners’ lifestyle and purchasing power.”
Will Tuesday night’s Mega Millions jackpot be the biggest jackpot in the history of the game? Not by a long shot, but it’s enough money to potentially make you comfortable for the rest of your life. The biggest jackpot ever won was the $656 million prize split between 3 winners in Kansas, Illinois, and Maryland on March 30, 2012. The second largest jackpot of $648 million was given away to two winners (California and Georgia) on December 17, 2013.
[Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News]
