Mega Millions jackpot jumps to $250 million for Tuesday as Florida ticket wins big
Will a $2 Mega Millions ticket make you a multimillionaire? As they say in the lottery world, “it could happen to you.” And while no one won Tuesday's jackpot, a Florida ticketholder got a big win.
Most recently, it happened for a Powerball ticketholder in Georgia: One player correctly matched all five numbers plus the Powerball in the Wednesday, Oct. 23, drawing to win $478 million. Before that, in September, a ticket purchased in Texas matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Tuesday, Sept. 10, Mega Millions drawing for $800 million. Those two drawings could possibly mark the last big “lotto frenzy” for 2024, but only time will tell.
Since the $800 million prize, the Mega Millions jackpot has been steadily climbing. After no one matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Friday, Oct. 25, drawing for $229 million, the jackpot jumped to a quarter of $1 billion for Tuesday, Oct. 29. The Mega Millions site shows a one-time cash option of $115.5 million. Tuesday’s winning numbers were 16-22-26-36-56 and the Mega Ball was 1. Megaplier was 4x. Those numbers mean another rollover.
The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday now climbs to $281 million, with a cash option of $129.8 million.
The big win for the Florida ticket was a match 5, which means whoever claims it gets at $1 million prize.
In case you’re wondering, Friday’s winning numbers were 23-26-35-41-43 and the Mega Ball was 7. Megaplier was 2x. Though those numbers meant a rollover, it wasn’t all bad news: There were two big winners in Friday's Mega Millions drawing. Two tickets purchased in Missouri matched 5 for $1 million prizes.
Other recent “secondary” wins happened in Florida, too.
One Florida ticket was a big winner in the Oct. 22 Mega Millions. The ticket, purchased at Sunshine store, 14351 SW 96th St., Miami, was a Quick Pick that matched 5 plus the Megaplier for a $3 million prize. A Mega Millions ticket for that date purchased in Texas also matched 5 for a $1 million prize.
Before the $478 million Powerball jackpot was won, Publix, 14630 SW 26th St., Miami, sold a Quick Pick ticket worth $1 million in the Monday, Oct. 21, Powerball drawing.
Mega Millions tickets start at $2 apiece. Below are some frequently asked questions about the game, when winning tickets expire in Florida (it differs state by state) and lottery odds. Good luck!
What were the winning Mega Millions numbers for Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024? 16-22-26-36-56 and the Mega Ball was 1
Mega Millions lottery drawings are at 11 p.m. EDT Tuesdays and Fridays. Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, Mega Millions numbers were 16-22-26-36-56 and the Mega Ball was 1. Megaplier was 4x. We'll see if there's a winner, rollover or a secondary winner for $2 million or $1 million.
Record-setting win: After $2.04 billion Powerball, Edwin Castro bought 2 multimillion-dollar homes in 2 weeks
When is the next Mega Millions lottery drawing?
Mega Millions drawings are at 11 p.m. EDT Tuesdays and Fridays. The next Mega Millions lottery drawing will be at 11 p.m. EDT Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
Could Mega Millions tickets rise to $5? Mega Millions expected to hike ticket prices, make Megaplier changes in 2025. What we know
How long has Mega Millions rolled over?
The last Mega Millions lottery streak started Friday, Sept. 13, after a ticket in Texas won $800 million for matching all five numbers and the Mega Ball. It took a little over three months for the $20 million jackpot to roll over to $800 million.
Below is a recap of lottery drawings for this latest streak and how the jackpot grew over time.
Tuesday, Oct. 29: $250 million
How long do you have to cash in a winning Florida Lottery ticket?
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 are the odds of winning Mega Millions?
The odds of winning are pretty low. According to the Mega Millions site, players 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.
Does the Florida Lottery reveal lottery winners? Can you stay anonymous if you win lottery in Florida?
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, 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.
Top 10 biggest Mega Millions lottery jackpots
As of Oct. 29, 2024, these are the largest Mega Millions prizes in the history of the game, according to megamillions.com.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot won on a single ticket was for $1.58 billion for Aug. 8, 2023, drawing. Final sales pushed the grand prize to $1.602 billion. The winning ticket was sold at a Neptune Beach, Florida, Publix. Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida, claimed the prize.
The second-largest Mega Millions jackpot was $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018.
$1.348 billion won in Maine on Jan. 13, 2023
$1.337 billion won in Illinois on July 29, 2022
$1.128 billion won in Neptune, New Jersey, on March 26, 2024
$1.050 billion won in Michigan on Jan. 22, 2021
$800 million won in Texas on Sept. 10, 2024
$552 million won in Illinois on June 4, 2024
$543 million won in California on July 24, 2018
$536 million won in Indiana on July 8, 2016
When did lotto jackpots hit $1 billion or more? How many times has Mega Millions and Powerball lottery jackpots reached $2 billion?
As of Oct. 29, 2024, there have been 11 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion.
$2.04 billion Powerball prize, Nov. 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California
$1.73 billion Powerball prize, Oct. 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck of California (ticket purchased at Midway Market in California)
$1.586 billion Powerball prize, Jan. 13, 2016, Marvin and Mae Acosta of California, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and John and Lisa Robinson of Munford, Tennessee
$1.58 billion Mega Millions prize, Aug. 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
$1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, Oct. 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
$1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with the ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
$1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
$1.326 billion Powerball prize, April 6, 2024, Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon
$1.128 billion Mega Millions prize, March 26, 2024, won by an anonymous winner in New Jersey with the ticket purchased at ShopRite Liquor No. 781 in Neptune Township, New Jersey
$1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
$1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 22, 2021, won by the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County, Michigan
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Anyone win Mega Millions lottery drawing for Tuesday, October 29, 2024
