Mega Millions Numbers For 07/02/21: Did Anyone Win the $72 Million?

According to the Mega Millions website, the winning numbers were 8, 31, 32, 34, and 45, and the Mega Ball number was 19 while the Megaplier was 2X, but did anyone win the top prize of $72 million last night?

Nobody matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball, so the jackpot has rolled over to Tuesday's drawing—where it will be worth $82 million with a cash option of $57.7 million.

However, there were two winners who managed to match all five numbers for the $1 million prize, although neither used the Megaplier.

Other winners included eight tickets which won $10,000 by matching four numbers and the Mega Ball, and two of those increased their winnings with the Megaplier.

There were also 249 players who won $500 by matching four numbers, 68 of whom doubled their prize to $1,000 with the Megaplier.

A further 652 players won $200 by matching three numbers and the Powerball, with 147 players winning $400 using the Megaplier. Over 417,000 tickets won prizes of at least $2.

The Mega Millions lottery has seen big winners recently after the $516 million jackpot was won in Pennsylvania in May, the ninth-largest prize in the lottery's history.

The jackpot was hit again earlier in June when a single ticket in Illinois won a prize of $55 million ($38 million cash)

How Does Mega Millions work?

Mega Millions is among the most popular multi-state lotteries in the country since its launch on August 31, 1996, as "The Big Game."

People in 45 states can buy tickets, which are also sold in the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are five states which do not sell lottery tickets; Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.

To take part, purchase a ticket from a licensed lottery retailer for $2 with the option of adding the Megaplier to your ticket for an additional $1.

Mega Millions jackpots start at $20 million, while other prizes pay from $1 million to $2 million or more with a Megaplier.

Players need to choose five numbers ranging from 1 to 70 for the white balls and select one number from 1 to 25 for the gold numbers. They can also use the Easy Pick or Quick Pick option to have the numbers randomly selected.

A player who wins the lottery can either claim the prize as an annuity or as cash.

An annuity is paid out as one payment which is followed by 29 annual payments, with each payment worth five percent more than the previous one. Those who take the cash option get a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.

Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at WSB-TV in Atlanta where five white balls are drawn from a set numbered 1 through 70. There is one gold Mega Ball which is drawn from a set numbered 1 through 25.

With nine different ways to win a prize, the chances of winning at least $2 are 1 in 24, according to the Mega Millions website.

Those who do have a winning ticket have between 90 days and one year to redeem their ticket, depending on local rules and regulations.

Those who take out the jackpot can either receive a cash option or take the annuity option of an initial payout which is followed by 29 annual payments that are each five percent larger than the previous ones.