Mega Millions Winning Numbers July 8, 2016: What If No Winners?

There was $540 million on the line in the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, July 8.

The winning numbers were:

• 8-19-20-55-73 with a mega ball of 5

The jackpot is the seventh largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, gaming officials said. The one-time cash payout option for Friday's game, if you win, is estimated at $380 million.

If there is no winner Friday night, the next drawing Tuesday will be worth $630 million.

“The excitement is palpable as this is the largest American lottery jackpot since the world record $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot in January,” said Paula Otto, executive director of the Virginia Lottery and lead director for the Mega Millions group. “Sales are expected to grow stronger right up until Friday night’s drawing.”

So, where can Marylanders try their luck if they feel so inclined? You canfind your Free State retailer here.

The record Mega Millions jackpot is $656 million won on March 30, 2012. Just behind that is the $648 million jackpot split by two winners on Dec. 17, 2013. Those are the only two Mega Millions jackpots in history higher than Friday night’s estimated prize.

The largest lotto jackpot in U.S. history — the almost $1.6 billion prize in the Jan. 13, 2016, drawing — was split by three winners. Mega Millions has awarded 10 jackpots of more than $300 million.

Friday's prize ranks as the seventh largest jackpot in the United States of all lottery games, including Powerball, officials said, and the third largest prize for the Mega Millions game in its history.

The odds of picking the correct numbers on five white balls and one yellow ball are one in 259 million.

Mega Millions is played in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

No matter how many people play Mega Millions, the chances of winning never change. The chances of winning are based on the amount of number combinations, not the number of players buying tickets, say lottery officials. The Mega Millions game is played by selecting five numbers out of 75 choices (the numbers from 1 to 75), and by selecting one extra number from 1 to 15 (that's the Mega Ball).

So, what should you do if you win the big prize?

Many lottery winners hire an attorney, financial planner or both since most people don’t exactly know what to do when they suddenly come into so much money.

Some even bring their lawyer with them to claim their prize. The lottery itself does not offer any counseling services or advice for winners.

You have two choices when you claim your prize: the full value paid in 30 installments over 29 years or a one-time lump sum that is smaller than the actual total.

Then there’s the taxes. The federal tax on lottery winnings is 25 percent. Then, any extra income taxes like state or city would apply.

Financial experts say that if you can get more than a 3 or 4 percent return on an investment, the lump sum is actually the best way to go in the long-term.