Mega Millions jackpot winners can collect anonymously in certain states. Here's where.
If someone wins the jackpot in tonight’s Mega Millions, there is a possibility that person's identity will never be known.
Laws in 18 states allow lottery winners to collect prizes anonymously, meaning that we may never know who wins the over $1.35 billion dollar jackpot.
In 2022 the winners of an equally large jackpot in Illinois remained anonymous under state law, with the Illinois Lottery describing them as, “two individuals, who agreed to split the prize if won – and they stayed true to that word," in a press release.
Here are the places where winners can anonymously claim lottery prizes and the requirements for them.
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Where winners can claim Mega Millions jackpot anonymously
Arizona: prize must be over $100,000
Delaware: any prize
Georgia: prize must be over $250,000
Illinois: prize must be over $250,000
Kansas: any prize
Maryland: any prize
Michigan: prize must be over $10,000
Minnesota: prize must be over $10,000
Mississippi: any prize
Missouri: any prize
Montana: any prize
New Jersey: any prize
North Dakota: any prize
South Carolina: any prize
Texas: prize must be over $1 million
Virginia: prize must be greater than $10 million
West Virginia: prize must be over $1 million
Wyoming: any prize
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What is the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever?
At $1.35 billion, the jackpot for the upcoming Mega Millions drawing is currently the second-largest jackpot in the lottery's history. Here's where the other record-holders stand:
$1.537 billion from one winning ticket in South Carolina in October 2018.
$1.350 billion estimated for Friday night if someone wins
$1.348 billion from one winning ticket in Maine in January 2023.
$1.337 billion from one winning ticket in Illinois in July 2022.
$1.25 billion in the current 2023 lottery.
$1.05 billion from one winning ticket in Michigan in January 2021.
$656 million from three winning tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland in March 2012.
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How to play Mega Millions
Tickets to Mega Millions cost $2 per play.
There are nine total ways to win a prize, from the jackpot to $2.
To play, pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball number from 1 to 25. You can choose Easy Pick or Quick Pick to have the terminal randomly pick numbers for you. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in the drawing.
What is the Megaplier?
Most states offer the Megaplier feature, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four and five times.
It costs an additional $1 per play. Before each regular Mega Millions drawing, the Megaplier is drawn. From a pool of 15 balls, five are marked with "2X," three with "4X" and one with "5X."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mega Millions winners can remain anonymous in 18 states
