The Mega Millions lottery drawing takes place every Tuesday and Friday evening at 11:00 PM Eastern Time in the United States. The winning numbers for each drawing are selected using two ball drawing machines which contain white balls numbered 1 through 70 and gold balls numbered 1 through 25. To win the Mega Millions jackpot, players must match all five white balls drawn plus the gold Mega Ball. Lesser prize amounts are awarded for matching some but not all of the winning numbers.
Mega Millions Drawing on Tuesday, October 10, 2023
The most recent Mega Millions drawing took place on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. The winning numbers drawn that evening were:
- White balls: 3, 19, 30, 44, 56
- Gold Mega Ball: 22
In order to win the jackpot, a ticket would need to match all six of these numbers. The estimated jackpot amount for this drawing was $494 million, with a cash value option of $247.3 million.
Where Was the Jackpot-Winning Ticket Sold?
For the October 10, 2023 drawing, there was one jackpot-winning ticket sold. This single ticket matched all six numbers to win the entire $494 million jackpot. According to Mega Millions officials, the winning ticket was sold at a Gas Mart convenience store located on Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania.
The specific Gas Mart location where the ticket was purchased is at 4230 Peach Street in Erie. This store will receive a $100,000 bonus from the Pennsylvania Lottery for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
The winner has not yet come forward to claim the enormous prize. They have one year from the drawing date to do so. If the jackpot is not claimed within that timeframe, the funds will be returned to the lotteries participating in Mega Millions to be used as prizes in future games.
Reaction in Erie, Pennsylvania
The city of Erie is abuzz with excitement and speculation following the news that the winning Mega Millions ticket was purchased by someone in the area. Erie has a population of around 100,000 people, so a lot of locals are wondering if it could be someone they know or a customer they recognize who bought the life-changing ticket.
The staff of the Gas Mart where the ticket was sold are shocked and thrilled that their store sold such an enormous prize. The store’s manager said, “We’re super happy for the winner, whoever they are, and we wish them well. We’re also excited and thankful that the winning ticket was sold here.”
Many people have been stopping by the Gas Mart hoping that some of the luck will rub off on them. Business at the store has been booming ever since it was announced they sold the $494 million ticket. Customers are buying Mega Millions tickets and trying their hand to see if lightning will strike twice at this lucky location.
Potential Winnings if Claimed as Cash Option
The winner of the $494 million jackpot has the choice between taking the full amount in graduated annual installments over 30 years or taking a reduced lump sum payment up front. The estimated cash value of this Mega Millions prize is $247.3 million.
This means that if the winner opts for the one-time cash payout instead of the annuity, they will receive a pre-tax amount of approximately $247.3 million immediately. This amount will be subject to both federal and state taxes right away, reducing the final sum considerably depending on applicable tax rates.
For example, the federal tax rate on lottery winnings for a prize of this size is 37% for 2023. Pennsylvania also taxes lottery winnings at a rate of 3.07%. So combined, the winner would pay about 40% in taxes on the cash value amount. This would leave them with around $148 million after federal and state taxes are withheld.
Mega Millions Jackpot Winners by State
In the over 20 year history of Mega Millions, there have been dozens of jackpot winners from all across the United States. Mega Millions is offered for sale in 45 states plus Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Of those participating jurisdictions, 15 states have had residents win the Mega Millions jackpot at least once.
The state with the most Mega Millions jackpot winners to date is New York, with 9. The next states with the most winners are California with 8, and New Jersey with 5. Here is the full breakdown of Mega Millions jackpot winners by state since 2002:
| State | Number of Jackpot Winners |
|---|---|
| New York | 9 |
| California | 8 |
| New Jersey | 5 |
| Illinois | 4 |
| Georgia | 4 |
| Michigan | 3 |
| Ohio | 3 |
| Texas | 2 |
| Florida | 2 |
| Maryland | 2 |
| Kansas | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 |
| Virginia | 2 |
| Washington | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
As can be seen, the states producing the most jackpot winners tend to be large, populous states where more Mega Millions tickets are sold. Now that Pennsylvania has scored its second jackpot win, it moves up on the list with multiple winners.
States With the Most Mega Millions Jackpot Wins Per Capita
Looking at the raw number of jackpot wins per state can be misleading, since larger states naturally sell more tickets, so have a better chance of producing winners. To analyze which states have had the most success proportional to population, here is a look at Mega Millions jackpot wins per capita (per million residents):
| State | Jackpot Wins Per 1 Million Residents |
|---|---|
| Kansas | 0.69 |
| West Virginia | 0.54 |
| Rhode Island | 0.47 |
| South Dakota | 0.46 |
| North Dakota | 0.39 |
Smaller states with fewer total wins like Kansas, West Virginia, Rhode Island, and the Dakotas rise to the top when adjusting for population. These states have had the most jackpot success relative to their number of residents. So while the overall odds of winning remain the same across the country, smaller states have seen slightly higher per capita wins.
Biggest Mega Millions Jackpots in History
The Mega Millions jackpot continues reaching new record highs as it rolls over week after week without a winner. Jackpots today frequently exceed half a billion dollars. Here are the top 5 biggest Mega Millions jackpot amounts to date:
- $1.537 billion – Won on October 23, 2018 in South Carolina
- $1.05 billion – Won on January 22, 2021 in Michigan
- $656 million – Won on March 30, 2012 in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- $648 million – Won on December 17, 2013 in California and Georgia
- $543 million – Won on July 24, 2018 in California
As can be seen, 4 out of the 5 largest jackpots have been won within just the past 5 years. And prizes continue to grow to new records, with the $1.537 billion won in 2018 remaining the largest lottery jackpot in world history.
Frequency of Mega Millions Jackpot Wins
With jackpots rolling over week after week without a winner, players may wonder just how frequently the top prize is won. Looking at the history of Mega Millions drawings to date, the jackpot has been won in approximately 1 in every 25 drawings on average. This equates to there being a jackpot winner about twice per month.
However, there is a great deal of variability and luck involved, so there have been long streaks without a winner as well as some clusters of winners close together. The odds of matching all 5 white balls plus the gold Mega Ball to win the jackpot are about 1 in 302 million.
Longest Jackpot Rollovers in Mega Millions History
When the jackpot isn’t won for several consecutive drawings, it can result in enormous prize amounts by the time a winner finally matches all the numbers. Here are the longest Mega Millions jackpot roll sequences to date:
- 36 consecutive rollovers – Jackpot grew to $1.537 billion in 2018 before being won in South Carolina
- 35 consecutive rollovers – Jackpot reached $1.05 billion in 2021 before being won in Michigan
- 29 consecutive rollovers – Jackpot climbed to $656 million in 2012 before being split by winners in Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland
- 25 consecutive rollovers – Jackpot hit $543 million in 2018 before being won in California
These lengthy streaks without a winner demonstrate how the Mega Millions jackpot is capable of snowballing to astronomical levels when lady luck aligns just right.
Frequency of Mega Millions Winnings by Prize Level
While winning the jackpot is exceedingly rare, other prize tiers in Mega Millions pay out much more frequently. At every drawing, millions of tickets win smaller prizes for matching some but not all the numbers. Here is the estimated frequency of winning at each prize level, based on overall odds:
| Prize Level | Odds of Winning | Frequency of Win |
|---|---|---|
| Jackpot | 1 in 302 million | Once every 25 drawings |
| $1 million | 1 in 12.6 million | Twice per week |
| $10,000 | 1 in 931,001 | Once per drawing |
| $500 | 1 in 38,792 | Over 100 times per drawing |
| $200 | 1 in 14,547 | Over 500 times per drawing |
| $10 | 1 in 606 | Over 15,000 times per drawing |
| $4 | 1 in 89 | Over 100,000 times per drawing |
| $2 | 1 in 37 | Over 200,000 times per drawing |
Matching just the Mega Ball offers the best odds among the prize tiers, winning a $2 prize nearly 200,000 times in each drawing. Even though the jackpot is elusive, the most common prize amounts offer frequent wins.
Percentage of Mega Millions Tickets That Win Prizes
In total, approximately 1 in every 25 Mega Millions tickets wins a prize of some amount. This equates to about 4% of all Mega Millions tickets being winners. The specific odds vary slightly from drawing to drawing based on number of tickets sold and number of winners at each prize tier.
While 4% may seem low, it is actually quite favorable compared to other huge lottery games. For example, Powerball has overall odds of 1 in 31, while national games like SuperLotto Plus have odds as high as 1 in 47. So Mega Millions offers some of the best chances for winning a prize.
Expected Return on Investment for Mega Millions Tickets
Since approximately 96% of Mega Millions tickets do not win any prize, playing the lottery is obviously not a favorable financial investment in terms of overall expected return. The cost of a Mega Millions ticket is $2. For that $2 wager, the expected average return over the long run is just $0.65 cents.
So in purely economic terms, a player can expect to lose $1.35 for every $2 ticket bought over time. This translates to an expected loss of about 68%. These odds will fluctuate slightly over periods of high and low jackpots. But in general, lotteries like Mega Millions are games of chance rather than consistent money makers.
Conclusion
In summary, the Mega Millions jackpot for the October 10, 2023 drawing was won by a single ticket sold in Erie, Pennsylvania. The winning numbers were 3, 19, 30, 44, 56 plus gold Mega Ball 22. This $494 million jackpot was Pennsylvania’s second Mega Millions jackpot win ever. If claimed as the cash option, the prize would be worth around $247 million pre-tax.
While hitting the jackpot is exceedingly rare, smaller prizes are won far more frequently. On average, around 4% of all Mega Millions tickets win some amount of cash. But financially, playing the lottery yields a negative expected return overall due to the extremely long odds. Nevertheless, with giant jackpots continuing to grow, excitement and interest in Mega Millions remains high across participating states.
