Illinois Player Strikes Gold with $560 Million Mega Millions Win

The Mega Millions lottery had a jackpot winner in the $560 million drawing, with the ticket bought in Illinois; it was the ninth-largest prize in the game's history. Two players from California and Maryland won $1 million each by matching all five white balls; if they had bought the Megaplier for $1, their winnings would have been $3 million. The grand prize offers a one-time cash payout of $264 million. The next drawing will be for an estimated $20 million grand prize with a $9.4 million cash option.

Olivia Wilson June 5, 2024 2 min read

The recent Mega Millions lottery drawing had everyone on the edge of their seats as a lucky individual from Illinois snagged the jaw-dropping $560 million jackpot. Talk about hitting the jackpot! To add to the excitement, the Megaplier was 3X, making the win even sweeter. This win marked the ninth-largest prize in the history of the Mega Millions game, adding to the thrill and allure of the lottery.

Not only did one fortunate individual from Illinois strike gold with the grand prize, but two other players from California and Maryland also had Lady Luck on their side. These players matched all five white balls, securing a cool $1 million each. If they had opted for the Megaplier for just an extra dollar, their second-prize winnings would have tripled to a whopping $3 million. It goes to show that sometimes, taking that extra little risk can pay off big time.

The Mega Millions jackpot frenzy doesn’t stop there. The massive $560 million grand prize offers a one-time cash payout option of $264 million. Winners often lean towards the cash prize rather than the annuity option, which involves one immediate payment followed by 29 annual installments. The odds of clinching the coveted grand prize stand at 1 in 302,575,350, which makes the sheer act of winning even more exhilarating.

The Mega Millions game has seen its fair share of monumental wins, with the jackpot recently being claimed on March 26 by a lucky player from New Jersey who walked away with a staggering $1.13 billion – the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history. The record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot of $1.602 billion was snatched up in Florida on August 8, 2023, marking it as the world’s third-largest single-ticket lottery win. This mind-boggling amount is just behind two Powerball wins of $2.04 billion and $1.765 billion, both clinched in California within the past two years.

As the Mega Millions jackpot continues to capture the attention and dreams of millions of hopeful players, the next drawing promises to keep the excitement alive. With an estimated $20 million grand prize up for grabs, accompanied by a cash option of $9.4 million, players across 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands are eagerly anticipating the next lucky draw. It’s not just a game of chance; it’s a chance to dream big and potentially turn those dreams into a reality.