Lottery results LIVE — May 27th 2022 Mega Millions game has MASSIVE $157million jackpot

Largest Mega Millions jackpots

One ticket sold in South Carolina won the biggest Mega Millions prize, $1.537billion, on October 23, 2018.

This award, the world’s highest for a single set of numbers, was the second-largest lottery payment ever, trailing only Powerball’s $1.586billion jackpot won by several tickets on January 13, 2016.

On March 5, 2019, a record Mega Millions jackpot was claimed, with the winner opting to remain anonymous under South Carolina law.

Lottery winner was proving a point

Glenda Blackwell, of North Carolina, bought a scratch-off ticket in 2016 to prove to her husband that buying lottery tickets is a waste of money.

Instead, she accidentally won $1million, according to NPR.

Florida has the biggest jackpot winners in history

Melbourne Beach couple, Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt shared the biggest jackpot of any kind in US history, according to Play USA Lotteries, dividing the $1.58 billion prize with winners from California and Tennessee.

A winning ticket worth $16million that was sold in Tampa is one of only five unclaimed Powerball tickets, USA Today reported.

Unlucky states

Surprisingly, Maine, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming have yet to sell a winning lottery ticket for either the Powerball or Mega Millions games.

How the Mega Millions jackpot is estimated

Lottery officials say members of the Mega Millions group meet every Tuesday and Friday morning to determine estimated jackpots for the next two drawings.

Lottery representatives share their state’s sales forecasts to estimate total sales projected for the drawings.

Sales estimates are then used to determine the estimated cash value of the jackpots and the advertised annuity values, with the annuity value based on that day’s 30-year US Treasuries rate, which can change day to day.

Nine ways to win Powerball explained

There are nine ways to win a prize in Powerball.

All prizes are set cash amounts, except the Grand Prize.

In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel (a betting system where all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool) and determined by sales and the number of winners.

Jackpots won in 2021

The Powerball jackpot was hit six times in 2021:

• January 20 – $731.1 million – Maryland
• January 23 – $23.2 million – New Jersey
• January 30 – $33.2 million – New Jersey
• March 27 – $235.4 million – Florida
• June 5 – $285.6 million – Florida
• October 4 – $699.8 million – California

Can I play the lottery online?

In some states, there are ways to purchase subscriptions to some lottery games.

There have also been a number of lottery retailer apps that have launched in recent years, providing a safe alternative to purchasing lottery tickets in person.

Check your state’s guidelines to learn more about purchasing lottery tickets online.

Number of different combinations revealed

If you were to play every possible number combination for the Mega Millions, at $2 per ticket, you would likely spend more than the jackpot is even worth.

With 302million number combinations, you would spend $604million to play them all.

Mega Millions history of jackpots

Mega Millions has awarded 23 jackpots of more than $300million, according to the game website.

That includes the Mega Millions record of $1.537billion won in South Carolina on October 23, 2018.

Lottery saves marriages

The reported divorce is increased by just 3% for lottery winners.

The statistic indicates that the lottery might actually hold marriages together.

States that saw Mega Millions jackpots revealed

In 2010, Mega Millions expanded to cover all US lotteries, including the Virgin Islands.

Jackpots have been awarded in 26 jurisdictions: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

How to never miss out

After purchasing your lottery tickets, place them in a safe and secure spot.

Many people like to post them on a refrigerator or in plain sight as a reminder to check for winning numbers.

Most winners lose friends

It has been reported that 90 percent of lottery winners lose friends.

Some winners have even reported being exploited by their friends.

Americans spend a lot on the lottery

It has been reported that Americans spend more money on lottery tickets than they do on video games, movies, sports teams, and music combined.

Per year, Americans spend over $70billion on lottery tickets, according to The Atlantic.

The odds of winning revealed

If you’re playing a game such as Powerball or Mega Millions, your odds of hitting all six numbers are one in 13,983,816.

The odds of becoming President of the US or a big Hollywood star are greater, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

The argument for post-win anonymity, continued

A small number of states also enable players to claim their winnings through a trust fund.

In this situation, your earnings will be collected by a lawyer on your behalf.

Many winners choose this choice since it alleviates the stress of dealing with such a significant sum of money in public.

Going public vs staying anonymous post-win

When you win the Mega Millions jackpot, your identity becomes public record in most jurisdictions, and you will almost certainly be asked to attend a news conference, according to Mega-Millions.com.

You are not required to make a comment at the press conference, and some prior winners have even changed their looks to assist in hiding their identities.

Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Carolina are the six states that enable athletes to remain nameless.

Some people wish to remain anonymous, citing concerns about their privacy and the safety of their families as justifications.

Forgotten ticket wins $8.9million

A lucky Oregon man was stunned to find out he’d scooped an $8.9million jackpot after checking a lottery ticket he’d bought weeks before and forgotten about.

Wilbur Brown bought a Megabucks ticket before Christmas that covered 13 weeks’ worth of draws when he was at a lodge with some friends.

After the first few drawings, he forgot to continue checking his ticket.

Weeks went by until he eventually scanned his ticket and saw a message that read “Large Lottery Winner.”

After finally remembering the ticket, Brown ended up collecting his jackpot on March 8.

Woman accidentally pushed wrong button & won $10million

LaQuedra Edwards said she put $40 into a California Lottery Scratchers machine when “some rude person” bumped into her and forced her to hit a button.

She had no intention of buying the $30 scratch-off that came out as she normally buys lower-priced options, according to a news release issued by the California Lottery on Wednesday.

She wasn’t complaining soon after, though, as she apparently almost crashed her car when she realized she won the top prize.

“I pulled over, looked at it again and again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile app,” she said. “I just kept thinking, ‘This can’t be right.’”

Woman threw her winning ticket in the trash

One woman in Virginia flew into a panic when she realized she threw her coffee-stained winning ticket in the trash.

Mary Elliott started going through the garbage after she determined she had a ticket worth $110,000.

When she found the ticket, it was so badly stained that the barcode wouldn’t scan, but officials still confirmed her win, according to Virginia Lottery.

“When I saw I’d won, I couldn’t stop shaking to save my life!” Elliott told Virginia Lottery.

Resigning after winning the lottery

A 2009 study of Swedish lottery winners cited by the Lotter revealed that 62 percent of lottery winners chose to stay at their regular jobs, while only 12 percent of winners left their careers.

A National Opinion Research Center poll from 2016 also revealed that 70 percent of winners would still work, despite having won a whopping prize.

Building generational wealth

In 2011, Jim and Carolyn McCullar from Washington won half of a $380million Mega Millions jackpot.

Back when the couple claimed the prize, it was the second-largest jackpot to be claimed in the US.

ABC News reported that instead of buying luxury goods or throwing their money away, the couple carefully planned for their winnings and built generational wealth for their family.

Powerball’s expansion explained

Powerball launched a new Monday drawing on August 23, 2021, which expanded the weekly lineup of Powerball drawings to three nights a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

The Double Play add-on feature was launched at the same time, giving players in certain jurisdictions another chance to match their Powerball numbers in a separate drawing with a top cash prize of $10million.

Taxed winnings reminder shared

Remember: Lottery winnings can and will be taxed

The IRS can take up to 40 percent of lottery winnings.

The winnings can be further taxed, depending on the state the winner is in.