A Single Georgia Lottery Ticket Claims the $983 Million Mega Millions Jackpot

A Record-Breaking Win in Georgia

After an intense series of 39 draws with no jackpot winner, the suspense was finally broken at the 40th draw of the multi-state Mega Millions game. The massive prize of $983 million found its sole claimant last night, when a single lottery ticket sold in Georgia matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball. This win is not just another addition to the list of jackpot winners; it's a historical moment as it represents the largest lottery jackpot ever won in the state of Georgia.

The previous record for Georgia was set by a $648 million Mega Millions jackpot back in 2013. This massive amount was split with a ticket from California and was claimed by a woman who played with her family's birthday numbers. However, when it comes to a single winning ticket sold solely in Georgia, this new win surpasses even the $478.2 million Powerball jackpot from last year that was claimed by two anonymous winners.

Winner’s Choice: Annuity or Lump-Sum Cash Value

The fortunate holder of this record-breaking ticket now faces a significant decision. They can choose between receiving their winnings as $983 million in 30 annual payments that increase over 29 years, or opt for the lump-sum cash value of $453.6 million.

This colossal jackpot ranks as the 14th-largest globally and is the 8th-largest in Mega Millions game history. And once all taxes are settled, the lucky winner can look forward to either $569.6 million spread over 29 years or a one-time cash amount of $262.3 million.

For lottery winners in Georgia, the state imposes a tax rate of 5.19% on their prizes. As per Georgia's law, the winner of this gargantuan prize now has 180 days from the date of the drawing to step forward and claim their winnings. However, we may never find out who this lucky individual is since Georgia law allows any lottery winner claiming a prize exceeding $250,000 to remain anonymous.

Interestingly, the winning numbers were not personally selected by the player but were randomly chosen by the lottery terminal through Quick Pick. Besides the jackpot winner, a player from Michigan also had good fortune on their side as they matched the first five numbers for a second prize win, walking away with an impressive $3,000,000 courtesy of a 3x multiplier on their ticket.

A total of 48 tickets managed to match four out of five numbers plus the Mega Ball, earning them prizes ranging from $20,000 to $100,000. Notably, California sold three out of these 48 winning tickets. However, California operates differently when it comes to prize amounts as it awards all prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, which means that the prizes vary each drawing based on the number and combination of sold and winning tickets.

Historical Perspective: Top US Lottery Jackpots

This massive $983 million Mega Millions jackpot now holds its place as the 14th-largest lottery jackpot ever recorded in United States history and worldwide too. It also sits proudly as the 8th-largest in Mega Millions game history.

When considering cash value jackpots specifically though, this recent Mega Millions jackpot holds its rank as the 19th-largest in history.