A historical lottery jackpot win of $1.2b in Illinois!

Source: Sky News

That is the reason many flocked to stores with one common goal in mind. Everyone wanted to be rich. And the historical prize money also helped. The hope of winning an amount of more than 1.2 billion can turn any skeptic into an optimist. After all, who doesn’t want to be a billionaire? You might be thinking this is just a claim but this very claim is backed up by salespersons all over who said people who generally don’t buy tickets are buying tickets in the hope to win the historical amount.

But buying a ticket is not enough when the odds are stacked against you. Yup! If you have a ticket then your chances of winning the jackpot of the Mega Million lottery is 1 in 302.5 million. But the odds couldn’t stop the huge number of people who flocked just to get their hands on a ticket, although only one could get lucky.

To have a look from the other side, it was also a great opportunity for the store owners as many of them predicted a huge spike in ticket sales. Store owners even tried out unique marketing ideas to get more people to come in and buy a lottery ticket from their store. One of such innovative store owners is Piyush Patel, owner of Northampton Liquors & Wines. Piyush was no stranger to lucky lottery tickets. Piyush claimed that he sold a 2 million dollar lottery ticket a few years back and so decided to put up a bug sign in front of his store that said “ Our customers are lucky!” If I was someone who was looking for a lucky store to buy a ticket that would change my entire life, that sign would surely grab my attention. 

The anticipation was surely building but many would argue lady luck was not in the player’s corner. Mainly because no one could match the six numbers chosen by the game since April. But the streak finally ended this Friday. All the ticket holders waited as the winning numbers were chosen for the jackpot of the Mega Millions lottery. And the lucky numbers were 13, 36, 45, and 57, with the Mega Ball of 67 and 14. And the winner of the historic jackpot of Mega Million lottery hails all the way from Illinois. The Illinois State Lottery has confirmed that the winning lottery ticket was bought from a speedway gas station and convenience store in Des Plaines of Chicago. 

In a press conference, Mega Millions stated the winning ticket holder will be paid out a humongous sum of $1.337 billion making it the second highest jackpot win in the history of the Mega Million lottery after a $1.537 billion win back in 2018. But even after winning $1.337 billion, the winner is not exactly a billionaire. You might be wondering why is that. The answer is simple: “Tax”. If you ever win a lottery then you should know that 24% federal tax will be levied on you. So according to Mega Millions, the winner will take home 747.2 million, still a millionaire. 

I have never bought a lottery ticket and hoped to win a billion dollars. But if I'm honest that would be really great. But what would you do if you won a billion dollars? Comment down below!

Frequently Asked Question 

Q. Who won the billion-dollar lottery in LA?

Edwin Castro won a $2 billion Powerball prize and he opted for a lump sum of $997.6 million, just shy of $1 billion, according to the California Lottery. After taxes, he walked away with $628.5 million, USA TODAY reported. Although he declined to appear publicly when he claimed the grand prize two months after the drawing, Castro complimented California public schools "as the real winner" and said in a written statement he was shocked and ecstatic. He bought the winning ticket last November at a Mobil gas station in Altadena, about 30 minutes outside Los Angeles.

Q. Did anyone win the Powerball on Monday night?

No, unfortunately, no one won the Powerball jackpot on Monday night, December 18, 2023. The jackpot has now rolled over to an estimated $572 million, with a cash option of $286.7 million. While no one hit the jackpot, two lucky winners matched all five white balls but missed the Powerball. Each of them won a $1 million prize. The winning numbers for Monday's drawing were 5, 8, 19, 34, 39, and the Powerball was 26. The Power Play multiplier was 3x. And the next Powerball drawing will be held on Wednesday, December 20, 2023.

Q. What is the payout for 1.2 billion Powerball?

The payout for a $1.2 billion Powerball depends on whether the winner chooses the annuity option or the lump sum cash option. The winners will have a choice between a $1.2 billion payout spread over 30 annual installments or a lump sum amount of $551.7 million

Q. What was the largest lottery jackpot in history?

The largest lottery jackpot of all time was a $2.04 billion Powerball win on Nov. 7, 2022, in California. And if you want to know who won the $2 billion jackpot, the winner of the greatest jackpot in a national lottery was Edwin Castro, who was the 1-in-292.2 million winner of the biggest lottery jackpot of all time.

Q. How long does it take to get your lottery winnings in Illinois?

Usually, the waiting time to receive your Illinois lottery winnings depends on many factors but you expect to receive your check by mail in 3-4 weeks. This estimated timeframe is dependent upon several factors such as completion of the claim form, submission of all required documents, and the quality of the uploaded ticket images, but every effort will be made to process your claim as quickly as possible. 

Also Read:

The Best SNL Skits of 2022 That Made Us ROFL!

Best Cooking Tv Shows Streaming Now That Will Get You All Hungry

Music or makeup - which one is Rihanna's true calling?

5 Fantastic Mobile Games to Combat your Boring Work Commute