The Mega Millions jackpot is $800 million on Tuesday. From Arizona and Montana to Mississippi and Arkansas, here’s where you can win it anonymously.
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The Mega Millions jackpot rose to a whopping $800 million on Tuesday, attracting players to get in on the action.
Some states allow lottery winners to claim their winnings anonymously by law, but if the year’s third Mega Millions winner lands in one of those states on Tuesday, we may never know who they are.
Tuesday’s jackpot meets all prize size requirements in states that have them. Arkansas is the only state that grants temporary anonymity to winners, with the identity of winners in that state protected for three years.
The last winner was in June, when someone in Illinois took advantage of the state’s anonymity laws to claim the $552 million prize.
Here you can find out where you as a winner can claim lottery winnings anonymously and what requirements apply.
Where Mega Millions winners can make anonymous claims
What is the biggest Mega Millions jackpot ever?
If the correct six numbers are drawn on Tuesday night, the jackpot in its current form would not be among the five biggest prizes of all time. The top five are:
- $1.602 billion from a winning ticket in Florida in August 2023
- $1.537 billion from a winning ticket in October 2018 in South Carolina
- $1.35 billion on a winning ticket in January 2023 in Maine
- $1.34 billion on a winning ticket in July 2022 in Illinois
- $1.12 billion on a winning ticket in March 2024 in New Jersey
What are the chances of winning the Mega Millions jackpot?
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are slim. Players have a 1 in 302,575,350 chance of winning the top prize, a 1 in 12,607,306 chance of winning the $1 million prize, and a 1 in 24 chance of winning any prize.
How to play Mega Millions
Mega Millions tickets cost $2 per game.
There are a total of nine ways to win a prize, from the jackpot down to $2.
To play, choose five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. You can choose Easy Pick or Quick Pick to have the terminal randomly select numbers for you. You win the jackpot if all six winning numbers are correct in the drawing.
What is the Megaplier?
Most states offer the Megaplier feature, which increases non-jackpot winnings by two, three, four and five times.
It costs an additional $1 per play. The Megaplier is drawn before each regular Mega Millions drawing. From a pool of 15 balls, five are marked “2X,” three are marked “4X,” and one is marked “5X.”
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Lottery tickets may also be sold in some airport terminals.
You can also order your tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, DC and West Virginia. With the Jackpocket app, you can select your lottery game and numbers, place your order, view your ticket and claim your winnings – all from your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery messenger of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue by referring viewers to Jackpocket services. Minimum age: 18, in Arizona: 21, in Northeast: 19. Not affiliated with any state lottery. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-877-8-HOPE-NY to HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). See jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.
