A lucky Texas player won the $810 million Mega Millions jackpot Tuesday night, but an even bigger prize from earlier this year remains unclaimed. The first Mega Millions jackpot of 2024 was won on March 26 at an estimated $1.128 billion, but the New Jersey player who won the billion-dollar jackpot has yet to claim their prize.
The Unclaimed Jackpot
The New Jersey lottery said that jackpot winners in the state have up to one year to claim their Mega Millions prize. If the winner doesn’t come forward by the deadline, the prize money will be distributed among the participating states.
In New Jersey, the unclaimed lottery prizes are used to fund retirement funds for public servants, including teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other employees.
The Recent Texas Winner: The Texas Mega Millions winner has the option to remain anonymous, but they must show proper identification when claiming their prize at the lottery headquarters. The second Mega Millions jackpot of the year was won by an Illinois player on June 4, worth $552 million.
What Happens if No One Claims the Mega Millions Jackpot?
If a jackpot prize goes unclaimed, each participating state in the Mega Millions game will get back all the money it contributed. The states use their unclaimed lottery prizes for different purposes, but unclaimed prize money typically remains in a state’s lottery fund.
Other Recent Lottery Wins: A Massachusetts man who played the same lottery numbers for 20 years finally won the Mega Millions jackpot. The jackpot was worth $1.28 billion.
While the recent Texas Mega Millions win has generated excitement, the unclaimed New Jersey jackpot continues to be a mystery. As the deadline for claiming the prize approaches, lottery officials and players alike are eagerly awaiting to see if the lucky winner will come forward.
Mega Millions Jackpot Reset After Texas Win
A lucky Texas player has claimed the $810 million Mega Millions jackpot, resetting the jackpot to $20 million for the upcoming drawing on Friday, September 13. The winning numbers for the September 10 drawing were 1, 2, 16, 24, 66, and the Mega Ball was 6. The winning ticket was purchased at a Murphy USA gas station in Sugar Land, Texas.
In addition to the jackpot winner, four other players matched all five white ball numbers, winning $1 million each. These lucky players are from California, Florida, New York, and Washington.
If a player wins the jackpot on Friday, they could walk away with an estimated cash payout of $10.1 million. It’s interesting to note that seven Mega Millions jackpots have been won on a Friday the 13th in the past.
