2016 Press Releases
July 1, 2016
MEGA MILLIONS® Rolls into Independence Day Weekend with a $415 Million Jackpot
The Delaware Lottery Encourages the Community to Play Responsibly
(DOVER, DE) — This Friday, July 1, MEGA MILLIONS® players will have an opportunity to win the largest jackpot in MEGA MILLIONS® since December 2013. The new estimated annuity jackpot of $415 million was reached after no ticket sold matched all six numbers in the drawing on Tuesday, June 28. With no winner from Tuesday, a single winner on Friday could opt for a cash payout of $286 million. This is the largest prize offered in the MEGA MILLIONS® game since December 17, 2013, when two tickets shared a $648 million jackpot.
The Independence Day holiday has a history of being lucky for MEGA MILLIONS® players. Since the game was introduced in 2002, players have won jackpots on July 1, July 2, July 3 and July 5, with the largest of these—at $294 million—being won in Massachusetts in 2004. Because of this history, the Delaware Lottery continues to join lotteries across the country in encouraging people to play responsibly.
“We consistently emphasize that the odds of winning a MEGA MILLIONS® jackpot are one in 259 million,” said Vernon Kirk, director of the Delaware Lottery. “And, while it’s exciting to think about the Fourth of July history of MEGA MILLIONS® jackpot wins, we urge everyone to also be mindful of what is appropriate for them to spend on playing. With this jackpot nearing historic levels, it’s more important than ever for players to not only play responsibly themselves, but also to encourage other players to do the same. This means not playing beyond their means, but playing only what they can afford.”
The winning numbers from Friday’s drawing were 11, 14, 54, 57 and 63, and the MEGA MILLIONS® Ball was 11. The jackpot has been rolling since it was last won in the state of Washington on March 8, 2016, at $157 million. Since that time, there have been 44 Match 5 winning tickets worth $1 million or more, and a total of $52.1 million winning tickets at all prize levels.
About the Delaware Lottery
Since the start of operations in 1975, the Delaware Lottery has contributed more than $4.5 billion to the state’s General Fund to help finance needed state services that benefit everyone in Delaware. The Lottery offers a variety of games: POWERBALL®, MEGA MILLIONS®, HOT LOTTO®, MULTI-WIN LOTTO, LUCKY FOR LIFE™, PLAY 3, PLAY 4, KENO®, iGaming and assorted Instant Games, Video Lottery, Sports Lottery, and Table Games. Delaware Lottery game and promotional details are available at www.delottery.com, at licensed locations and from the Lottery’s office in Dover.
Winner privacy is our policy.
The Delaware Lottery publishes winner names only with their consent.
