What's happened
A New Jersey couple won $3 million in a scratch-off less than six months after a previous $1 million win. Meanwhile, a Georgia player claimed a $980 million Mega Millions jackpot after a 39-draw drought, marking one of the largest recent jackpots. Both wins highlight extraordinary luck in U.S. lotteries.
What's behind the headline?
The extraordinary luck of these lottery winners highlights the role of chance in large jackpots. The New Jersey couple's back-to-back million-dollar wins are statistically improbable, with odds of 1 in 2 trillion, illustrating how rare such events are. The Georgia jackpot, after a 39-draw drought, demonstrates how the revamped Mega Millions game has increased jackpot sizes but also the complexity of winning. The use of LLCs for anonymous claims, as seen in Florida, indicates a trend toward privacy among high-value winners. These stories reveal that while the odds are astronomically against players, the allure of life-changing sums continues to drive participation, often fueled by the hope of improbable luck turning into reality.
What the papers say
The Independent reports on the couple's consecutive wins, emphasizing the rarity and luck involved, with officials calling it 'pure, blind luck.' The NY Post details the Georgia jackpot, noting the long drought and the recent game changes that increased jackpot sizes and ticket prices. Both sources highlight the odds of winning and the potential for anonymity, with The Independent quoting lottery officials on the improbability of such wins. The AP News provides context on the odds and the history of large jackpots, including recent record-breaking Powerball wins, framing these events within the broader landscape of U.S. lottery history. The contrasting focus on individual luck versus systemic game changes offers a comprehensive view of the current lottery landscape.
How we got here
The New Jersey couple's consecutive million-dollar wins and the Georgia jackpot follow a series of large lottery prizes in the U.S. This pattern underscores the rarity of such events, with odds of hitting two million-dollar wins in under a year being 1 in 2 trillion, according to officials. The recent Mega Millions jackpot was boosted by a game revamp in April, which increased ticket prices and altered odds, aiming to generate larger prizes and improve winning chances.
Go deeper
Common question
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The recent Mega Millions jackpot reached an astonishing $989 million, the ninth largest in U.S. history. A lucky player from Georgia claimed the prize, choosing a cash payout of about $240 million after taxes. With such a massive win, many are wondering about the details—who won, how the payout works, and what the odds are of hitting such a huge jackpot. Below, we answer the most common questions about this record-breaking lottery win and what it means for players across the country.
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Will the Mega Millions jackpot hit a new record?
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Mega Millions (originally known as The Big Game in 1996 and renamed, temporarily, to The Big Game Mega Millions six years later) is an American multijurisdictional lottery game. The first drawing took place on September 6, 1996, with six participating...
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Texas is a state in the South Central Region of the United States. It is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population.
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Georgia is a state in the Southeastern Region of the United States. Georgia is the 24th-largest in area and 8th-most populous of the 50 United States.