Winning numbers: Mega Millions lottery jackpot for Tuesday, Jan. 3
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New Year's celebrations are now behind us, but starting the year off with a huge cash win could be in play for someone lucky enough to have the ticket with the winning lottery numbers. If someone wins, Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing would be the largest jackpot won this early in a calendar year.
The estimated jackpot for the Jan. 3 drawing is $785 million (cash option of $395 million). That is the fourth-highest Mega Millions jackpot ever.
Check your numbers for Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing: Tuesday night's numbers are 25-29-33-41-44, Mega Ball: 18 and Megaplier was 4x.
In Friday night's drawing, the numbers were 1-4-6-44-51, Mega Ball: 7 and Megaplier was 3x. There was only one ticket, sold in Ohio, that matched five numbers, winning $1 million. Prizes from Friday night's drawing ranged from $2 to $1 million.
Mega Millions drawings are held at 11 p.m. EST Tuesdays and Fridays.
Below are some frequently asked questions about Mega Millions, Powerball and lottery odds.
How much is the Mega Millions lottery jackpot for Jan. 3?
$785 million with a cash option of $395 million
Is $785 million among the largest Mega Millions jackpots ever?
Yes. The three that are larger are over $1 billion. With Friday night's rollover, the jackpot is now in the Top 5 list for Mega Millions jackpots and the sixth-largest lottery jackpot ever.
How long has Mega Millions rolled over?
This Mega Millions jackpot has rolled over since Oct. 18. Before that, one ticket sold at a 7-Eleven in Fort Myers and another was purchased in California in the Oct. 14 drawing. The winners split the $494 million jackpot.
What are the odds of winning Mega Millions?
According to the Mega Millions website, you 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.
Can Florida lottery winners remain anonymous?
No. 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, since May 25, 2022, 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."
Is $785 million the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history?
The $985 million jackpot is not the biggest sum, but it is now the sixth-largest all-time jackpot of all lotteries. The largest lottery prize ever climbed to $2.04 billion in November. The jackpot was an estimated $1.9 billion days before the drawing, but lottery ticket sales helped it grow to more than $2 billion after updated calculations. A single ticket purchased in California won the grand prize.
Previously, the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history was clinched Jan. 13, 2016, when three tickets in California, Florida and Tennessee split the Powerball grand prize of $1.586 billion. For those wondering, the winning ticket in Florida was sold at Publix in Melbourne Beach.
What are the Top 10 largest Mega Millions jackpots ever?
According to its website, here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots as of Dec. 23, 2022:
- 10. $522 million — June 5, 2019; California
- 9. $533 million — March 30, 2018; New Jersey
- 8. $536 million — July 6, 2016; Indiana
- 7. $543 million — July 24, 2018; California
- 6. $648 million — Dec. 17, 2013; California and Georgia
- 5. $656 million — March 30, 2012; Illinois, Kansas and Maryland
- 4. $785 million — Jan. 3, 2023; Undetermined
- 3. $1.05 billion — Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
- 2. $1.337 billion — July 29, 2022; Illinois
- 1. $1.537 billion — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
What are the Top 10 largest Powerball jackpots ever?
Here are the Top 10 Powerball jackpots as of Dec. 23, 2022:
- 10. $587.5 million — Nov. 28, 2012; Arizona and Missouri
- 9. $590.5 million — May 18, 2013; Florida
- 8. $632.6 million — Jan. 5, 2022; California and Wisconsin
- 7. $687.8 million — Oct. 27, 2018; Iowa and New York
- 6. $699.8 million — Oct. 4, 2021; California
- 5. $731.1 million — Jan. 20, 2021; Maryland
- 4. $758.7 million — Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts
- 3. $768.4 million — Mar. 27, 2019; Wisconsin
- 2. $1.586 billion — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida and Tennessee
- 1. $2.04 billion — Nov. 7, 2022; California
What are the Top 10 largest lottery jackpots ever?
The following Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots made the Top 10 biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history, as of Dec. 30, 2022.
- 10. $699.8 million — Oct. 4, 2021; California
- 9. $731.1 million — Jan. 20, 2021; Maryland
- 8. $758.7 million — Aug. 23, 2017; Massachusetts
- 7. $768.4 million — Mar. 27, 2019; Wisconsin
- 6. $785 million — Jan. 3, 2023; Undetermined
- 5. $1.05 billion — Jan. 22, 2021; Michigan
- 4. $1.337 billion — July 29, 2022; Illinois
- 3. $1.537 billion — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
- 2. $1.586 billion — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida and Tennessee
- 1. $2.04 billion — Nov. 7, 2022; California
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