Mega Millions Winning Numbers May 29: $233 Million Jackpot Could Be Yours, What Are The Odds?


The Mega Millions jackpot for May 29 is a whopping $233 million. Do you have the winning numbers for Friday night’s drawing? The $1 ticket may make you an instant multi-millionaire, but the odds are slim that will happen.

The Mega Millions drawing takes place at 11 p.m. tonight, with anxious ticket holders hoping to match all five white balls and the MegaBall. Download the free LotteryHUB app to watch the drawing live on your iPhone or Android smartphone.

UPDATE: The winning Mega Millions numbers for May 29 are: 20, 27, 38, 49, 66, MB 2, Megaplier 4

The odds for winning tonight’s grand prize are approximately 1 in 259 million — slim odds compared to getting struck by lightning or gobbled up by a shark. According to National Geographic, the odds of being struck by lightning in your lifetime are 1 in 3,000, and odds are 1 in 3.7 million that you will get killed by a shark. Still, spending $1 on a lottery ticket with terrible odds sounds better than betting on a shark attack.

There’s always a chance that you could split the jackpot with more than one winner, so don’t count on taking home the whole pot of cash. The top five jackpots in the history of Mega Millions have all been shared by at least two ticket holders, with the record-setting win of $656 million on March 30, 2012 divided between three lucky winners in Kansas, Illinois, and Maryland.

  • $656 million — March 30, 2012 (three winners)
  • $648 million — December 17, 2013 (two winners)
  • $414 million — March 18, 2014 (two winners)
  • $390 million — March 6, 2007 (two winners)
  • $380 million — January 4, 2011 (two winners)

If you do end up winning the entire Mega Millions jackpot on Friday night, you will receive your choice of a lump sum payment, or a 30-year annuity. The cash value of tonight’s jackpot is $143,100,000 before taxes. According to USA Mega, the lump sum payment after federal taxes (25 percent) would be $107,325,000, but that’s before state taxes are taken out.

The percentage charged varies by state, but if you live in California, Delaware, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, or Wyoming, you won’t have to pay any state tax on your lottery winnings.

Annuity payments are made over 30 years, with the first payment issued shortly after the winning ticket is claimed at state lottery headquarters. Payments for the $233 million jackpot would be approximately $5.8 million per year, with a five percent increase added to each check after the first payment.

Mega Millions tickets are sold at lottery retailers in 44 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with most retailers cutting off sales approximately 45 minutes prior to the 11 p.m. ET drawing.

[Image: CBS News]

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