Mega Millions Win Confirmed by Texas Lottery

If you were to ask a "man on the street" question to random adults walking the streets of Lufkin, Tyler, Longview, or Beaumont about lottery games to play the overwhelming reply would be Powerball. That game has woven its brand into pop culture through the years. But, the game you and other Texas Lottery players should be paying attention to, at least for the next few days is Mega Millions.

The reason Mega Millions isn't quite as top of mind in Louisiana is because it got a later start in the state than Powerball did. The game, Mega Millions has produced more than a dozen jackpot winners in Texas since the Lone Star State joined the game in 2003. The game produced a $3 million win on a ticket sold in Houston just three months ago.

That was then this is now. If you didn't see the Mega Millions drawing for August 16, 2024, here is how it played out.

If you watched the video from the Mega Millions YouTube Channel you know last night's game was played for a top prize of $464 Million. Our connections with the Texas Lottery  and ultimately the Mega Millions lottery have confirmed there were no tickets sold across the game's footprint that matched the numbers needed to claim that prize.

We do know, via Mega Millions, that two tickets sold for Friday's drawing earned a Match 5 Million prize. The Match 5 Million is when a ticket matches all of the white balls but doesn't match the Mega Ball. Essentially, the million dollar prize is a consolation for missing by one number.

It would probably be one of the few times any of us would be disappointed in winning a million dollars. It's all about perspective and the current perspective on the Mega Millions game looks like this. Tuesday's estimated jackpot is just two million short of half a billion. Yeah, you could win $498 million if you choose the annuity or you might accept $245.3 million as the lump sum.

Yes, you would have to be fortunate enough to win. And yes, you would fork a lot of that money over to those who tax our good fortune for the greater good of all. That makes it sound better but the tax bite still hurts.

The observed numbers for Friday's Mega Millions draw were:

22   38   48   51   61   Mega Ball 05   Megaplier  x3

Before you attempt to cash a ticket please verify those numbers at the Official Mega Millions Website or the Official Texas Lottery Website. Those sites can confirm your prize winnings and give you direction on how to claim a prize. 

The Texas Lottery did confirm to us that a tickets sold in the state did earn significant prizes in Friday's drawing. Both tickets matched the same prize winning scenario of four white balls and the Mega Ball. One of the tickets opted for the Megaplier, the other did note. The prizes were $10,000 for the non-Megaplier and $30,000 for the ticket that spent the extra buck at the time of purchase.

There is a Powerball drawing tonight. That will happen along with a Lotto Texas with Extra! drawing.  The Powerball jackpot is an estimated $35 million on the annuity and $17.3 for the lump sum payout. The Lotto Texas with Extra! game has a top prize of $12 million with a lump sum estimation of $7.5 million.

Please play responsibly and if you need help with a gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER. Good Luck.