Will a $2 Mega Millions ticket make you a multimillionaire? As they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.” Check your numbers!
After no one matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Friday, Jan. 12 drawing for $187 million, the grand prize climbed to $208 million for Tuesday, Jan. 16.
Tuesday’s winning numbers were 2-10-42-49-54 and the Mega Ball was 13. Megaplier was 2x.
Not only did the jackpot for Friday’s drawing go unclaimed, but there were also no winners for the $1 million Match 5 prizes.
In case you’re wondering, the winning numbers for Friday, Jan. 12 were 19-34-35-45-67 and the Mega Ball was 7. Megaplier was 3x.
Mega Millions tickets start at $2 apiece. Below are some frequently asked questions about the game and lottery odds. Good luck!
an estimated $208 million with a cash option of $100.1 million
an estimated $187 million with a cash option of $91 million
an estimated $165 million with a cash option of $80.3 million
How long has Mega Millions rolled over?
Someone won the $395 million Mega Millions jackpot with a cash option of $189 million on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. The jackpot started at $20 million for the Tuesday, Dec. 12, drawing. Here’s a snapshot of how the prize has climbed in so short a time.
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Tuesday, Jan. 16: $208 million
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Friday, Jan. 12: $187 million
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Tuesday, Jan. 9: $165 million
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Friday, Jan. 5: $140 million
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Tuesday, Jan. 2: $114 million
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Friday, Dec. 29: $92 million
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Tuesday, Dec. 26, or Kwanzaa: $73 million
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Friday, Dec. 22: $57 million
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Tuesday, Dec. 19: $41 million
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Friday, Dec. 15: $28 million
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Tuesday, Dec. 12: $20 million
When do Florida lottery tickets expire?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
What happens to the unclaimed prize money?
According to the Florida Lottery, state law requires 80% of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The remaining 20% is returned to the prize pool for future drawings.
What happens to unclaimed Mega Millions prize money?
Should a Mega Millions ticket not be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date, “the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series.”
What are the odds of winning Mega Millions?
According to the Mega Millions website, you have a 1 in 302,575,350 chance to match all five white balls plus the gold Mega Ball. Prizes range from $2 (for matching the Mega Ball) to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
Can Florida lottery winners remain anonymous?
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site states, since May 25, 2022, the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Lottery experts and lawyers have said there are ways to remain anonymous if you win.
As of Jan. 16, 2024, there have been nine lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion.
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9. $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021: A single ticket won in Michigan.
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8. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023: A single ticket won in California.
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7. $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022: A single ticket won in Illinois.
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6. $1.35 billion, Jan. 13, 2023: A single ticket was purchased in Maine.
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5. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018: A single ticket won in South Carolina.
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4. $1.58 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023: A single ticket won in Neptune Beach, Florida
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3. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016: Three tickets won from California, Florida, Tennessee.
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2. $1.73 billion Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023: A single ticket won in California.
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1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022: A single ticket won in California.
What are the Top 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever?
According to its website, here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots as of Jan. 16, 2024:
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10. $536 million — July 8, 2016; Indiana
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9. $543 million — July 24, 2018; California
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8. $648 million — Dec. 17, 2013; California and Georgia
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7. $656 million — March 30, 2012; Illinois, Kansas and Maryland
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6. $1.05 billion — Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
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5. $1.08 billion — July 19, 2023; California
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4. $1.337 billion — July 29, 2022; Illinois
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3. $1.35 billion — Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
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2. $1.537 billion — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
What are the Top 10 largest lottery jackpots ever?
The following Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots made the Top 10 biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history, as of Jan. 16, 2024.
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10. $810 million Powerball drawing — Jan. 1, 2024; Michigan
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9. $1.05 billion Mega Millions drawing — Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
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8. $1.08 billion Powerball drawing — July 19, 2023; California
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7. $1.337 billion Mega Millions drawing — July 29, 2022; Illinois
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6. $1.35 billion Mega Millions drawing — Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
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5. $1.537 billion Mega Millions drawing — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
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4. $1.58 billion Mega Millions drawing — Aug. 8, 2023; Florida
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3. $1.586 billion Powerball drawing — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida and Tennessee
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2. $1.73 billion Powerball drawing — Oct. 11, 2023; California
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1. $2.04 billion Powerball drawing — Nov. 7, 2022; California
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Anyone win Mega Millions lottery drawing for Tuesday, January 16?
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