One lucky suburban Chicago lotto player just got $1 million richer.
According to an Illinois Lottery spokesperson, a $1 million lottery ticket sold in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing was purchased in Bartlett, at RT 59 Gasoline, located at 1100 W. Sterns Rd.
The lucky player matched five Mega Millions numbers to win the prize, according to Lottery officials.
Several other Illinois players also won big Tuesday's drawing. According to the spokesperson, two players matched four numbers and the Mega Ball, plus a 'Megaplier,' to win $20,000 each; and five players matched four numbers and the Mega Ball to win $10,000 each.
The $20,000 tickets were sold at the following locations, the Illinois Lottery said:
- Corliss Shell, 11100 Corliss Ave., Chicago
- Speedway, 885 E. Touhy Ave., Des Plaines
Additionally, the $10,000 tickets were sold at the following locations, according to the Illinois Lottery:
- Palos Hills Mart, 10300 S. Harlem Ave., Palos Hills
- Prestige Food & Liquors, 5439 W. Madison St., Chicago (2 tickets)
- Cigarette Palace Inch, 1916 W. Army Trail Rd. Hanover Park
- Lucky Place Inc., 3780 Lincoln Hwy., Olympia Fields
A single jackpot-winning $1.13 billion Mega Millions ticket for Tuesday's drawing was sold in New Jersey, according to the lottery's website. Other $1 million tickets where players matched five numbers were sold in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, New York and Ohio.
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According to Mega Millions, the winning numbers for Tuesday's drawing were 7, 11, 22, 29, 38 and a MegaBall of 4.
How much cash does the $1.13 billion jackpot hold?
Lottery officials said the New Jersey winner could opt for a $537.5 million cash option, which would be a one-time payment in lieu of receiving the full amount over 30 years.
MORE: $1 million winning Powerball ticket sold at Northwest Indiana gas station
And despite the big money pot, the prize is still subject to taxes. Those include an automatic withholding tax of 24% levied against the winnings, and another 13% in federal taxes when you file your 2024 return.
There are also state taxes in some jurisdictions, which range from 2.9% to 10.9% depending on the state you live in. But if you're lucky enough to live in California, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington or Wyoming, you won't pay income in your winnings.
Largest Mega Millions Jackpots in history
The jackpot has been gradually building for months thanks to 29 straight drawings without a jackpot winner. The last time someone won the game’s top prize was on Dec. 8, 2023, when two winning tickets were sold at the same gas station in Los Angeles, splitting the $394 million prize.
The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever, worth $1.602 billion, was sold on Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
In 2022, a $1.337 billion Mega Millions ticket was sold at a gas station in suburban Des Plaines.
Lottery jackpots grow so large because the odds of winning are so small. For Mega Millions, players have a 1 in 302.6 million chance of taking home the top prize.
The next Mega Millions drawing, with a jackpot of $20 million, is set for 10 p.m. CT on March 29.
