After 27 Mega Millions drawings in a row with no winning ticket, last Tuesday was a hit. The Mega Millions $800 million jackpot was won by a ticket bought in Texas, with a winning number combination of 1, 2, 16, 24, 66, along with 6 for the gold Mega Ball. The winner beat the odds of 302.57 million to one.

A life-changing moment occurred on Tuesday, September 10, as the Mega Millions jackpot, which had been growing for 27 back-to-back drawings without a winner, was finally hit. The massive $800 million prize was claimed by a single ticket purchased in Sugar Land, Texas, a town located just southeast of Houston. This mind-blowing win marks a key milestone in the history of Mega Millions, placing it as the seventh-largest jackpot ever won in the game along with the 13th-largest in US lottery history.

The winning numbers for the September 10th drawing were 1, 2, 16, 24, and 66, plus the Mega Ball at 6. Early Wednesday morning, the Mega Millions Consortium confirmed that a lucky ticket sold at a Murphy USA gas station along Highway 90 in Sugar Land had matched all five white balls and the Mega Ball, beating the astronomical odds of 1 in 302.57 million to claim the grand prize.

A life-altering decision awaits

The winner of this unprecedented jackpot now faces a crucial decision: whether to receive the full $800 million payout over 30 years or opt for a one-time payment of cash at $404.2 million. This decision is made even more complex by the Federal Reserve's current interest rate, which influences the value of the annuity.

Should the winner choose the lump sum option, the $404.2 million cash prize will be subject to federal taxes, reducing the amount by $149.5 million. This leaves the winner with an estimated $254.6 million. However, because the ticket was purchased in Texas, one of the few states that does not tax lottery winnings as individual income, the winner will retain significantly more of their prize than if they had purchased the ticket in a state with high lottery taxes.

Had the winner been in a state like New York, for example, which imposes a 10.9% tax on lottery earnings, they would have faced an additional $35.6 million in state taxes. In contrast, the lack of state income tax in Texas ensures that the lucky individual will walk away with the full after-tax amount of $254.6 million - a considerable windfall by any standard.

Texas' lottery winner joins a prestigious club

This Mega Millions jackpot win is the first since June 4, when a ticket sold in the state of Illinois won a $552 million prize. The previous major win occurred on March 26, when a New Jersey player won an astounding $1.128 billion, the fifth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever - though that prize remains unclaimed.

The excitement surrounding the Mega Millions drawing was not limited to the jackpot alone. Tuesday night's drawing produced more than 2.1 million winners across various prize levels. Among these were four tickets that matched the five white balls, earning their holders a $1 million second-tier prize. Unfortunately, none of these ticket holders opted for the additional $1 Megaplier, which would have quadrupled their prize to $4 million.

In addition, 47 tickets matched four white balls and the Mega Ball, each earning $10,000. Ten of these players had the foresight to add the Megaplier, boosting their winnings to $40,000 each. Over 1,300 tickets matched just the four white balls, earning $500 apiece, with 255 of these enhanced by the Megaplier to win $2,000 each.

Finally, more than 1.36 million tickets matched the Mega Ball alone, allowing players to recoup their $2 bet. An impressive 258,153 of these tickets included the Megaplier, increasing their winnings to $6.

As the Mega Millions jackpot is claimed, it resets to its base value of $20 million for the next drawing, scheduled for Friday, September 13. Though the excitement of an $800 million prize is behind us, the temptation of a fresh jackpot ensures that the Mega Millions frenzy will continue, with hopeful participants across the nation dreaming of becoming the next big winner.