What is the biggest lottery jackpot in the history of the US? Mega Millions’ latest top prize winds up in the top 10 for the life annuity and for cash..
Mega Millions’ latest run for lottery history has ended, with two tickets hitting a jackpot that wound up set at $414 million. That’s the seventh biggest annuity in American lottery history. The cash, $230.9 million, lands at No. 9.
Jackpots are growing very fast. The reason for the growth is that the tickets are getting cheaper and the odds got lengthened. These changes were made in the period of January 2012 and October 2013. The companies that are responsible for this growth are Powerball and Mega Millions.
In the list below you will find the top 25 of annuity jackpots. Cash pay-outs are included since almost all the winners prefer cash rather than a transfer in their bank. When we are not looking to the American lottery history on his own but also the prices in the other countries you will find out that the biggest prize was the Spanish Christmas lottery called El Gordo. El Gordo means the fat one, which is indeed a fat price! The Jackpot of this lottery was $950 million and was divided over 180 winners. In 2013 the top prize was $875 million, which is also more than any U.S. jackpot.
The jackpots below are all from three multistate games: Powerball, Mega Millions and The Big Game, which was the precursor of the Mega millions lottery.
Records lottery jackpot in America ever
1. $656 million, Mega Millions, won March 30, 2012, by three tickets, sold in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas. Cash (1): $471 million (U.S. record for total cash all-time).
2. $648 million, Mega Millions, won Dec. 17, 2013, in Georgia and California. Cash (4): $347.6 million.
3. $590.5 million, Powerball, won May 18, 2013, in Florida. (record annuity jackpot for Powerball.) Cash (3): $370.9 million. Record for most cash collected by a single winner.
4. $587.5 million, Powerball, won Nov. 28, 2012, by two tickets, sold in Missouri and Arizona. Cash (2): $384.7 million (record all-time total cash for Powerball).
5. $448.4 million, Powerball, for Aug. 7, 2013, drawing, won by 3 tickets, 2 of them in New Jersey, one in Minnesota. Cash (5): $258.2 million.
6. $425.4 million, Powerball, won Feb. 19, 2014, in California. Cash (6): $242.2 million.
7. $414 million, Mega Millions, won March 18, 2014, by 2 tickets, in Maryland and Florida. Cash (9): $230.9 million.
8. $399.4 million, Powerball, for Sept. 18, 2013, drawing, won in South Carolina. Cash (11): $223.1 million.
9. $390 million, Mega Millions, won March 6, 2007, by 2 tickets, in Georgia and New Jersey. Cash (8): $233.1 million.
10. $380 million, Mega Millions, won Jan. 4, 2011, in Idaho and Washington State. Cash (7): $240 million.
11. $365 million, Powerball, won Feb. 18, 2006, in Nebraska. Cash (18): $177.3 million.
12. $363 million, Big Game, won May 9, 2000, by 2 tickets, in Illinois and Michigan. Cash (17): $180 million.
13. $340 million, Powerball, won Oct. 19, 2005, in Oregon. Cash (27): $164.4 million.
14. $338.3 million, Powerball, won March 23, 20013, in New Jersey. Cash (13): $211 million.
15. $337 million, Powerball, won Aug. 15, 2012, in Michigan. Cash (10): $224.6 million.
16. $336.4 million, Powerball, won Feb. 11, 2012, in Rhode Island. Cash (14): $210 million.
17. $336 million, Mega Millions, won Aug. 28, 2009, by two tickets, in New York and California. Cash (12): $214 million.
18. $331 million, Big Game, won April 16, 2002, by three tickets, in Georgia, Illinois and New Jersey. Cash (20): $176.7 million.
19. $330 million, Mega Millions, won Aug. 31, 2007, by four tickets, in New Jersey, Maryland, Texas and Virginia. Cash (16): $194 million.
20. $319 million, Mega Millions, won March 25, 2011, in New York. Cash (15): $202.9 million.
21. $315 million, Mega Millions, won Nov. 15, 2005, in California. Cash (17): $184.6 million.
22. $314.9 million, Powerball, won Dec. 25, 2002, in West Virginia. Cash (21) $170.5 million.
23. $314.3 million, Powerball, won Aug. 25, 2007, in Indiana. Cash (36): $146 million.
24. $295.7 million, Powerball, won July 29, 1998, in Ohio. Cash (28): $161.5 million.
25. $294.8 million, Powerball, won Aug. 25, 2001, by four tickets, in Delaware, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Minnesota. Cash (24): $165.8 million.