(This story will be updated to add new information.)
Will a $2 Mega Millions ticket make you a multimillionaire? It happened last month after someone became a millionaire, 800 times over.
One lucky ticket purchased in Texas matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Tuesday, Sept. 10, Mega Millions drawing for $800 million. That could be the last big “lotto frenzy” Mega Millions jackpot for 2024, but only time will tell.
Since the $800 million prize, the jackpot has been steadily climbing. Now the jackpot is over $100 million for Friday, Oct. 4, after no one matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball in the Tuesday, Oct. 1, drawing. Check back after 11 p.m. EST for Friday’s winning numbers, which has a cash option of $52.2 million. We’ll see if there’s a winner or another rollover.
In case you’re wondering, Tuesday’s winning numbers were 27-35-47-50-66 and the Mega Ball was 25. Megaplier was 2x.
Though there was a rollover, there was one big winner from Tuesday’s drawing. A Mega Millions ticket purchased in New York matched 5 for a $1 million prize.
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 Friday, Oct. 4, 2024?
Mega Millions lottery drawings are at 11 p.m. EDT Tuesdays and Fridays. Check back for Friday numbers. We’ll see if there’s a winner or another rollover.
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, Oct. 4, 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 to win $800 million. 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 and how the jackpot grew overtime.
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. 4, 2024, these are the largest Mega Millions prizes in the history of the game, according to megamillions.com.
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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.
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The second-largest Mega Millions jackpot was $1.537 billion, won in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018.
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$1.348 billion won in Maine on Jan. 13, 2023
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$1.337 billion won in Illinois on July 29, 2022
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$1.128 billion won in Neptune, New Jersey, on March 26, 2024
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$1.050 billion won in Michigan on Jan. 22, 2021
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$800 million won in Texas on Sept. 10, 2024
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$552 million won in Illinois on June 4, 2024
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$543 million won in California on July 24, 2018
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$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. 4, 2024, there have been 11 lottery jackpots that have reached or surpassed $1 billion. Only once has a jackpot surpassed $2 billion.
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$2.04 billion Powerball prize, Nov. 7, 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California
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$1.73 billion Powerball prize, Oct. 11, 2023, Theodorus Struyck of California (ticket purchased at Midway Market in California)
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$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
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$1.58 billion Mega Millions prize, Aug. 8, 2023, Saltines Holdings LLC of Miami, Florida
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$1.537 billion Mega Millions prize, Oct. 23, 2018, won by an anonymous player in South Carolina
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$1.348 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 13, 2023, LaKoma Island Investments, LLC, with the ticket purchased in Lebanon, Maine
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$1.337 billion Mega Millions prize, July 29, 2022, won by an anonymous partnership with a ticket purchased in Des Plaines, Illinois
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$1.326 billion Powerball prize, April 6, 2024, Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and Laiza Chao of Oregon
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$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
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$1.08 billion Powerball prize, July 19, 2023, Yanira Alvarez of California
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$1.050 billion Mega Millions prize, Jan. 22, 2021, won by the Wolverine FLL Club of Oakland County, Michigan
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Anyone win Mega Millions lottery for Friday, October 4, 2024?
