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Lottery

Historic Mega Millions jackpot breaks $1B

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The Mega Millions lottery jackpot has reached $1.1 billion dollars ahead of Tuesday’s drawing — making it potentially the third largest Mega Millions prize and the fifth largest lottery prize in U.S lottery history.

The historic jackpot is the third prize to break a billion in under a year, with a $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot going to a Illinois resident on July 29 and a $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot — the largest jackpot ever won — going to a California ticketholder on Nov. 7.

“When playing Mega Millions and other lottery games, we encourage people to keep the experience enjoyable by playing responsibly and within their means,” said Mark William Bracken, Interim Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Lottery.

The Massachusetts State Lottery directs anyone concerned about problem gambling to the Massachusetts helpline, (800) 327-5050.

The jackpot has been building since Oct. 14, when the $502 million prize was split between ticketholders in California and Florida.

The next drawing will take place on Tuesday night. If no winner is found, another will take place on Friday.

Powerball ticket sold in California snags record $2.04B win

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By STEFANIE DAZIO and SCOTT McFETRIDGE (Associated Press)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Someone who bought a Powerball ticket in Southern California has won a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot after more than three months without anyone hitting the top prize.

The winning numbers were selected Tuesday morning, nearly 10 hours after the scheduled Monday night drawing because of problems processing sales data at one of the game’s member lotteries. Lottery officials acknowledged the unprecedented delay for such a high-profile drawing but said the game’s security process took precedence.

“Protecting the integrity of the draw is of utmost importance, and we were able to do that during this historic drawing with the cooperation of all participating lotteries,” said Drew Svitko, the chairman of the Powerball Product Group and executive director of the Pennsylvania Lottery.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Minnesota Lottery acknowledged their sales verification system caused the lengthy delay.

The winning numbers drawn Tuesday morning at the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee were: white balls 10, 33, 41, 47 and 56, and the red Powerball was 10.

The jackpot ticket was sold at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena, an unincorporated community in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles. For selling the winning ticket, business owner Joe Chahayed will receive a maximum Powerball bonus of $1 million.

“I’m very surprised. Very excited. Very happy,” said Chahayed, who wore a bright yellow California Lottery shirt and cap.

Chahayed said he didn’t know who won the giant prize but hopes it’s someone local.

“I wish I knew the person but most people who buy tickets from me are from the neighborhood. I hope one of them will be the winner,” he said.

Chahayed said he would spend his $1 million on his five children and donate some to the community.

Under California rules, the name of the winner must be disclosed but no other information, including the winner’s address, has to be be made public.

Thomas Murrell said he had stopped at Joe’s Tuesday morning with the intention of buying gas and $200 worth of Powerball tickets, in case no one had won the giant jackpot.

“I know Joe. I’ve known him for years and talk to him all the time,” Murrell said. “Joe’s always been a lucky guy. He’s a good guy. I’m not surprised it happened here.”

The $2.04 billion jackpot was by far the largest lottery prize ever won, topping the previous record $1.586 billion prize won by three Powerball ticketholders in 2016. Only four previous jackpots have topped $1 billion, but none of those are close to the current prize, which started at $20 million back on Aug. 6 and has grown over three winless months. No one has won the jackpot since Aug. 3.

The jackpot was initially reported as an estimated $1.9 billion on Monday, but the prize was increased to $2.04 billion Tuesday morning after updated calculations.

The Multi-State Lottery Association said the scheduled drawing was delayed from 10:59 p.m. EST Monday to 8:57 EST a.m. Tuesday because a participating lottery wasn’t able to process its sales data. After Minnesota completed its pre-draw procedures, the drawing was able to go ahead.

Marie Hinton, a Minnesota Lottery spokeswoman, said the lottery was reviewing what happened and hoped to report its findings by Wednesday.

Terry Rich, a former director of the Iowa Lottery who also served on the Powerball board, said the delay was likely due to a two-part verification system of ticket sales that makes use of an outside vendor to ensure all is in order before the game’s numbers are drawn.

“Each state must verify through a dual process that all of the sales and dollars match before the Multi-State Lottery Association can do the draw,” said Rich, who headed the Iowa Lottery for 10 years and was president of the North American Lottery Association. “This is a state-by-state procedure, which separates the whole process and has been very effective.”

Rich said state lotteries deal with similar problems several times a year but the delays usually don’t attract much attention because the potential jackpots are far less than was up for grabs this week.

The winning numbers and recorded video of the drawing were posted to the Powerball’s YouTube channel.

The $2.04 billion prize is for a winner who chooses an annuity, paid annually over 29 years. Nearly all winners instead opt for cash, which was valued at $997.6 million.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

The game is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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McFetridge reported from Des Moines, Iowa.

Powerball hype catches on in Massachusetts before Saturday’s $1.6 billion drawing

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The hype surrounding Powerball, which has carried a jackpot of more than $1 billion this week, has surely caught on locally.

Powerball ticket sales across the state have brought in more than $24 million so far this week heading into Saturday’s $1.6 billion drawing, the largest jackpot in U.S. history, said Christian Teja, director of communications for the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission.

That’s more than double the sales from last week, which had nine times the amount the week before.

Saturday’s drawing carries a $782.4 million cash option.

The $2 tickets can continue to be purchased at Mass Lottery retailers until 9:50 p.m. Saturday before the drawing at 10:59 p.m.. Teja on Friday said he expects Saturday to be the biggest day for sales of this drawing.

To win the full estimated jackpot, all five white numbers must match plus the red Powerball, and the chances of winning are one in 292 million. There’s been a string of 39 consecutive drawings since Powerball was last won in August.

If there’s a winner in Massachusetts, he or she would be taking home $929.1 million after taxes if they decide to take annual payments over 30 years. The first year would be $14 million and the final year $57.5 million, according to usamega.com.

In Monday’s $1 billion drawing, nine tickets sold in Massachusetts won $50,000 by matching four out of five numbers plus the Powerball, according to the State Lottery Commission.

The new $1.6 billion jackpot tops the previous record prize of $1.5 billion won in 2016 by three Powerball players in California, Florida and Tennessee.

A $758.7 million Powerball jackpot is the largest ever won in Massachusetts, with the winning on a ticket sold in Chicopee in 2017.

Powerball jackpot soars: Expert says what winner should do

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If you had $1.2 billion, you could rent out the Legends Suite at Fenway Park for every Red Sox home game for the next thousand years.

Or, if you’re looking for a home, you could afford the 10 most expensive ones on the market in Boston and still have $1 billion left over.

These are among the endless possibilities that could become reality if you win Wednesday’s estimated $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot, the second largest drawing in the game’s 30-year history and fourth largest ever in U.S. lottery history.

If the jackpot is won Wednesday, the winner should take the $1.2 billion jackpot instead of the $596.7 million one-time cash option, said Jay Zagorsky, professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.

The only way to receive the full estimated jackpot is to accept annual payments over 30 years, Zagorsky said Tuesday.

If there is a winner in Massachusetts, he or she would receive a $10.5 million payment in the first year and then $43.1 million in the final year after taxes, according to usamega.com.

“I have spent my entire academic career studying wealth,” Zagorsky said, “and even if I had a billion dollars dropped on me, having thought about this for years, I’m not sure if I could physically or mentally adjust that quickly. By taking the multiyear payout, you have the opportunity to really figure out your life.”

The $1.2 billion Powerball is the second time in game history the jackpot is worth more than $1 billion, trailing the world record $1.5 billion jackpot in January 2016, according to the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission.

The extravagant prize would make you wealthier than music icon Taylor Swift, who announced Tuesday she will be returning to perform at Gillette Stadium next May.

To win the full estimated amount, all five white numbers must match plus the Powerball. Don’t get your hopes up of that happening, though, as the chances of winning are one in 292 million, said Mark William Braken, interim executive director of the Massachusetts State Lottery.

Braken said his commission is reminding players to play responsibly and within their means.

“If you buy one ticket or 100 tickets, your odds of winning are not going to change,” he said. “Your chances of winning a lower-tier prize may increase; your odds are one in 25 of winning something but that something could be $4. It only takes one to win.”

In Monday’s $1 billion drawing, nine tickets sold in Massachusetts won $50,000 by matching four out of five numbers plus the Powerball, according to the State Lottery Commission. A $758.7 million Powerball jackpot is the largest ever won in Massachusetts, with the winning on a ticket sold in Chicopee in 2017.

As the jackpot soars, more people are playing and those who are Powerball fanatics are playing more than they normally would, Braken said. Last week’s Powerball ticket sales brought in more than $12 million, nine times the amount in sales from the previous week, he said.

“Once Powerball gets over a certain figure like a billion, lots of people just pile on board,” Zagorsky said.

New Year’s Day Powerball drawing up to $500 million

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A lucky lottery winner could start their 2022 off on a bright note, with a few hundred million more in the bank.

The New Year’s Day Powerball jackpot prize has grown to an estimated $500 million, with an estimated $355.9 million cash option. Just a week ago, on Christmas, a $400 million drawing went unclaimed.

Players have until 9:50 p.m. on New Year’s Day to buy their $2 tickets before the drawing. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. in Tallahassee, Fla.

“When playing Powerball and other lottery games, we encourage people to keep the experience enjoyable by playing responsibly and within their means,” said Michael Sweeney, executive director of the Massachusetts State Lottery. “We also remind people to follow health and safety guidelines when visiting retail locations.”

Saturday’s Powerball drawing will be the 38th since the jackpot was last hit on Oct. 4, when a lucky California ticket holder won an unusually large $699.8 million jackpot.

Powerball tickets are $2 each and can be played in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The jackpot for Friday night’s Mega Millions jackpot is an estimated $221 million, while the jackpot for Saturday night’s Megabucks Doubler drawing is an estimated $6.4 million.

The biggest jackpot prize sold in Massachusetts — and the fifth-biggest ever in the U.S. — was a $758.7 million prize won in August 2017, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Christmas Day Powerball drawing grows to $400 million

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Some lucky lottery players could have a very merry Christmas indeed.

The Saturday Powerball jackpot prize has grown to $400 million, or $292 million for the cash option, and players have until 9:50 p.m. Christmas night to buy their $2 tickets before the drawing. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. in Tallahassee, Fla.

Drawings have been held 34 times since Oct. 4, when a lucky California ticket holder won an unusually large $699.8 million jackpot.

“When playing Powerball and other lottery games, we encourage people to keep the experience enjoyable by playing responsibly and within their means,” said Michael Sweeney, executive director of the Massachusetts State Lottery. “We also remind people to follow health and safety guidelines when visiting retail locations.”

The jackpot for Saturday night’s Megabucks Doubler drawing is an estimated $6.2 million.

The biggest jackpot prize sold in Massachusetts — and the fifth-biggest ever in the U.S. — was a $758.7 million prize won in August 2017, according to U.S. News and World Report.