Mega Millions announced that its minimum jackpot will cut in half once the next jackpot is won. The reason for decreasing the minimum jackpot to a guaranteed $20 million is because of the spread of COVID-19, otherwise known as coronavirus.
The jackpot for Tuesday night (04/07/20) was for $127 million, with a cash option worth $103 million. During the pre-coronavirus pandemic, the game would reset at $40 million if there was a winner. But with more people staying at home with shelter-in-place orders, Mega Ball executives said the new minimum will be $20 million, which shadows similar measures implemented last week by Powerball, the other multi-state lottery game.
“The value of the Mega Millions jackpot is based on projected sales, and typical sales patterns have been altered because the current health crisis has required people to stay home,” said Gordon Medenica, lead director of the Mega Millions Consortium and Director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming. “We are concerned, first and foremost, with everyone’s health and well-being. Meanwhile, these adjustments will allow the states and jurisdictions that sell Mega Millions tickets to continue generating much-needed revenue to support state budgets.”
The changes are a response to slowing sales during the current global pandemic, similar to what Powerball initiated last week, also reducing its minimum payout to $20 million.
Mega Millions tickets are $2 and sold in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery every Tuesday and Friday night, and it is one of America’s two biggest lottery jackpot games. Mega Millions jackpots start at $40 million, and other prizes pay from $1 million to $2 million or more with a Megaplier. Tickets are $2 per line, and odds of winning with a $2 Mega Millions ticket are one in 303 million. For more information on Mega Millions, or to check your past numbers, visit its website.
The current Mega Millions jackpot is $127 million. The last Mega Millions grand prize winner was Tuesday 02/11/20 for $202 million with a ticket sold in New Jersey. The previous grand prize winner before that was Tuesday 12/17/19 for $372 million with a ticket sold in Ohio.
Prior to that, a $227 million ticket was sold on 09/24/19 in the city of Cedar Park, Texas—a suburb north of Austin. The winner from nearby Leander came forward to claim that prize, but they wished to remain anonymous.
Here are the top 10 Mega Millions Jackpots to date:
Amount/Date/Winning Tickets
$1.537 billion 10/23/2018 1-SC
$656 million 3/30/2012 3-IL, 1-KS, 1-MD
$648 million 12/17/2013 2-CA, 1-GA
$543 million 7/24/2018 1-CA
$536 million 7/8/2016 1-IN
$533 million 3/30/2018 1-NJ
$522 million 6/07/2019 1-CA
$451 million 1/5/2018 1-FL
$414 million 3/18/2014 2-FL, 1-MD
$393 million 8/11/2017 1-IL
