
National Casino
- Up to $1500
- License CA
On December 27, 2024, the Mega Millions jackpot of $1.22 billion was won in California. The winning ticket was sold at Sunshine Food and Gas in Cottonwood, California.
The winner can choose to receive the full amount of $1.22 billion, which is roughly $1.12 billion CAD, over 30 years or opt for a lump sum payout. If the winner chooses the lump sum, they would receive only $549.7 million USD (about $505 million CAD). Most winners tend to go for the lump sum option.
In California, winners' names are publicly announced, unlike in some other U.S. states where winners can remain anonymous. The identity of the winner has not yet been revealed.
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National Casino
- Up to $1500
- License CA
Taxes and Payouts
The winner of the Mega Millions jackpot will have to pay federal and possibly state taxes on their winnings. If the winner opts for the lump sum of $549.7 million USD, they would end up with approximately $285 million USD (around $385 million CAD) after federal taxes are deducted.
Winning the Jackpot
To win the Mega Millions jackpot, you need to match all six numbers. Since no one had won all six numbers in the last 30 draws, the jackpot grew to over $1 billion USD. The winning numbers were 3, 7, 37, 49, 55, and the gold Mega Ball was 6. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, according to the Mega Millions organization.
This jackpot is the fifth-largest in Mega Millions history. The largest jackpot ever was $1.6 billion USD, won in Florida in August 2023.
Retailer Bonus
The store that sold the winning ticket will receive a $1 million USD bonus. Additionally, five other players won $1 million USD each because they matched the five white balls correctly, but missed the gold Mega Ball.