Twelve Mega Millions Tickets Miss Jackpot by a Single Number, Prize Grows to $843 Million
Twelve tickets almost missed the $800 million jackpot in Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing.
The Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday, November 4th was the 37th consecutive drawing in which not a single ticket matched the gold Mega Ball and the five white balls. The cash option is projected to be worth $391.7 million, while the drawing for Friday, November 7, increases to an estimated $843 million.
The winning numbers on Tuesday night were 11, 14, 17, 50, and 57. The gold Mega Ball was 6. The third-best reward in the interstate lottery game was won by twelve tickets that matched four of the five white balls and the Mega Ball.
Unpredictability of Jackpots
The longest run in the game's history without a jackpot winner is the rolling Mega Millions jackpot. Although its origins can be traced back to August 1996 with The Big One, Mega Millions made its premiere in May 2002.
One in almost 290.5 million tickets will win the Mega Millions jackpot. The jackpot is more likely to be won as the value increases because more tickets are sold, covering more number combinations, even if there is no way to reduce those odds.
"The previous record of 37 drawings was set on January 22, 2021, when a $1.05 billion jackpot was won in Michigan. Jackpot wins are always unpredictable, random events. Jackpots can be won in consecutive drawings or roll for weeks or months on end,” a Mega Millions release explained.
42 draws is the longest Powerball stretch without a jackpot victory. In April 2024, a ticket in Oregon won a $1.326 billion prize, and in September of this year, two tickets sold in Missouri and Texas split a $1.787 billion jackpot, setting that record again.
Winnings After Taxes
The $391.7 million would be lowered by 37% when the federal government deducts its share if one ticket wins Friday's Mega Millions jackpot and chooses to accept the cash. State taxes might then apply to the remaining $246.8 million.
Lottery winnings are subject to state taxes ranging from 2.5% in Arizona to 10.9% in New York.
California, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming are the greatest states to win a large lottery prize since they do not tax lottery winnings as income.
