With no winner yet this year, the Mega Millions jackpot is approaching $800 million following Tuesday night’s drawing.
So far, no ticket has matched the required six digits to take home the massive prize, which is currently around $792 million, or $382 million if opting for the cash value.
At its current level, the prize would amount to the sixth-largest total ever.
Tuesday’s draw marked the 27th straight with no winner. The last time the Mega Millions jackpot was hit was in December when two ticketholders guessed the correct numbers. The winners, both from Encino, California, walked away splitting $394 million.
Before that, in September 2023, The Dallas Express reported on a lucky winner of a previous jackpot. The winner, at the time anonymous, took home a whopping $1.6 billion, the second-largest in U.S. history.
While most winners opt for the immediate cash payout, some take the annuity payment option. In the latter case, an immediate cash payment is given, followed by annual payments over the subsequent 29 years, increasing by 5% annually.
Of course, with either option, winners still need to make their contributions to the IRS. Any prize above $5,000 comes with a 24% withholding tax. Additionally, some states charge a tax. Fortunately for Texans, the Lone Star State, along with Florida and California, does not levy any additional duty over and above what goes to the federal government.
While no one attained the main prize on Tuesday, two individuals — one in Massachusetts and another in North Carolina — did manage to match all five white balls, awarding each of them the second-tier prize of $1 million.
Mega Millions drawings are conducted every Tuesday and Friday at 10 p.m. CDT.
