Excitement is in the air as Mega Millions players eagerly check their tickets following Friday night’s draw. With no major winners in the previous drawing, the jackpot has now reached an estimated $281 million, offering a tempting cash option of $145.2 million for lucky winners.
When it comes to claiming their prize, winners are presented with two choices: the cash option or the annuity option. Opting for the cash option means receiving the full amount in a one-time payment, while the annuity option distributes the prize over 29 annual payments.
Many lottery winners tend to choose the lump sum cash payment, taking into consideration state and federal taxes that may affect the final amount received.
It’s worth noting that the odds of hitting the jackpot stand at approximately one in 302 million, making it a challenging but thrilling pursuit for those hoping to strike it big.
June 16, 2023 Mega Millions winning numbers
The winning numbers for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing were 4, 24, 34, 45, 57, and the Mega Ball number was 19.
Additionally, the Megaplier for that drawing was 3X.
It’s an exciting outcome for those who matched these numbers and are now eagerly checking their tickets to see if they have become the lucky winners.
How likely am I to win the Mega Millions?
Winning the Mega Millions Jackpot is indeed quite challenging, as the odds are significantly stacked against you.
The chances of winning the Jackpot are approximately 302,575,350 to 1, which means it’s a rare occurrence.
Even matching all five white balls without the Mega Ball has odds of around 12,607,306 to 1.
It’s important to keep these odds in mind when participating in the Mega Millions lottery, as the likelihood of winning the top prize is quite slim.
What are the Mega Millions rules?
To play Mega Millions, you have several options. You can manually select your numbers by choosing five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 25 for the Gold Mega Ball.
Alternatively, you can opt for an “Easy Pick” or “Quick Pick” ticket, where the lottery machine generates random numbers for you.
To win the jackpot, your ticket must match all six winning numbers drawn during the lottery.
However, even if you don’t hit the jackpot, you can still win smaller prizes based on the number of balls you match.
The cost of a Mega Millions ticket is $2. If you wish, you can add the Megaplier option for an additional $1.
The Megaplier can multiply your prize amount by up to five times (excluding the jackpot).
Mega Millions is available in 45 states across the United States, including the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands.