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By Minyvonne Burke
The winning numbers of the $ 1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the biggest lottery draw in US history, were 5, 28, 62, 65 and 70, with a Mega Ball from 5, announced Tuesday evening officials of the lottery.
If there is only one winner, he has the option to take a cash amount of $ 904 million or an annuity, earning him an upfront payment followed by annual installments on 29 years.
Tuesday's jackpot is the largest prize in American lottery history, just above a $ 1.58 billion Powerball draw in 2016. Three people from Tennessee, Florida and California have won.
The last time there was a winner of Mega Millions, it was July 24, when an office pool of 11 people in California divided the price by $ 543 million.
The chances of winning the jackpot were very slim – 1 in 302.5 million to be exact.
But that did not stop people from playing. About 280 million tickets were sold in the draw last Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Tuesday night, tickets in California were selling at $ 200 per second.
Any potential winner has between 180 days and a year to claim the prize, depending on the state in which the ticket was purchased.
The winners of a jackpot can remain anonymous in eight states: Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. In Arizona, people who earn more than $ 600 can keep their name secret for 90 days after claiming a prize, but after that, the names are public documents. In Michigan, the winners are anonymous unless they win Mega Millions or Powerball prizes.
In general, taxes absorb about half of the gains. For winners of $ 5,000 or more, all states automatically deduct 24% of federal taxes, but taxes vary considerably. Some large states, including California, do not tax their lottery winnings, and some, like Texas, do not have personal income taxes. For others, the state is taking a bite, especially in New York, where a winner should pay a 8.8% tax. Residents of New York City would pay an additional fee of 3.9%.
Associated press contributed.
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