The Blue Yucca Trust of South Dakota received a cash payout of $157,367,045 before taxes, setting a new record for the largest prize awarded to a single Texas Lottery player
A lucky group of individuals from South Dakota made history by winning the whopping $360 million Mega Millions jackpot in October.
Blue Yucca Trust of Rapid City, South Dakota won a $360 million Mega Millions jackpot on October 6, 2023. The ticket purchased at a gas station in San Angelo, Texas, is the largest lottery prize in Texas history, the Texas Lottery announced Wednesday.
Although the Blue Yucca Trust group is based in South Dakota, winner credit will be given to the state in which a group member purchased the winning Mega Millions ticket. This has happened several times this year, including on October 7, when a New Hampshire resident purchased a ticket in Massachusetts and won a $1 million prize.
The winning ticket brought by the Blue Yucca Trust matched all numbers 12, 24, 46, 57, 66 and Mega Ball 22. It was purchased at Stripes #5031 in San Angelo. Stripes supermarket received a $1 million bonus from the lottery for selling the winning ticket.
The Blue Yucca Trust chose cash value when purchasing its ticket. The plaintiff received $157,367,045 before taxes, setting a new record for the largest prize awarded to a single Texas Lottery player.
Prior to this victory, the last time a Texas lottery player won the Mega Millions jackpot was on September 24, 2019, when a Leander resident won an announced jackpot of $227 million.
Ut Van Nguyen of Carrollton was the first person to win the Mega Millions jackpot in Texas, according to Lottery Post. He won a $101 million prize in the October 1, 2004 drawing, shortly after Texas adopted multi-state play in 2003.
The next drawing of the Mega Millions jackpot, currently $267 million, will take place on Friday, November 17 at 11:00 p.m. ET.
How to play Mega Millions
When you purchase a Mega Millions ticket, you have the option to select six numbers. The top five are chosen from a range of 1 to 70 for the white balls, and the final number is chosen from a range of 1 to 25 for the coveted gold mega ball. For those who find choosing their own numbers daunting, there is an “Easy Pick” or “Quick Pick” option, which will randomly generate the numbers for your ticket.
If you play in certain states, you can add a Megaplier for an additional dollar. This decision could potentially increase your non-jackpot winnings by a factor of 2, 3, 4 or even 5.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the USA TODAY Network’s official digital lottery courier, in these states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington DC and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to select your lottery game and numbers, place your order, view your ticket and collect your winnings – all from your phone or home computer.
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