Mega Millions Winning Numbers For Jan. 8: $45 Million Jackpot

The Mega Millions winning numbers for Tuesday, Jan. 18, are worth $45 million. The estimated cash payout is $27.3 million. The Mega Millions winning numbers are 13, 26, 29, 38, 64 with a Mega Ball of 5.

The winnings were on a slow climb back to a much larger jackpot after a $415 million jackpot was won in New York on New Year's Day. That jackpot, with an estimated cash payout of $261.8 million, was the eighth largest i the game's history. It was the second time the Mega Millions jackpot was won on New Year's Day, the other being in 2008.

The jackpot hadn't been won since Oct. 23, when a record $1.537 billion jackpot was won in South Carolina. That person still hasn't claimed their winnings. Subscribe for free to your local Patch for the winning numbers as they come in.

There was no jackpot winner in the Friday, Jan. 4 drawing. The jackpot was worth $40 million, with an estimated cash payout of $24.2 million. Those numbers were 21, 29, 35, 54, 60 with a Mega Ball of 15. The Megaplier was 4x.

The odds of picking the correct numbers on five white balls and one yellow ball (the Mega Ball) are one in 302.6 million. No matter how many people play Mega Millions, the chances of winning never change. The chances of winning are based on the number combinations not the number of players buying tickets.

The Megaplier add-on, which costs an extra dollar, increases non-jackpot prizes by two to five times.

Players pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers – five different numbers from 1 to 70 and one number from 1 to 25 (the Mega Ball number.) Players can also use an easy pick feature, where a computer selects random numbers for them. To win the jackpot, a player much match all six numbers.

Players who match some of the numbers could still win some money. Here is the payout schedule for lesser prizes, not including the Megaplier, which is different for each game:

• 5 + 0 = $1 million (five numbers by not the Mega Ball)
• 4 + 1 = $10,000 (four numbers and the Mega Ball)
• 4+ 0 = $500 (four numbers without the Mega Ball)
• 3 + 1 = $200 (three numbers and the Mega Ball)
• 3 + 0 = $10 (three numbers but not the Mega Ball)
• 2 + 1 = $10 (two numbers and the Mega Ball)
• 1 + 1 = $4 (one number and the Mega Ball)
• 0 + 1 = $2 (just the Mega Ball)

Mega Millions tickets are $2 each and can be played in 44 states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lottery hopefuls had until 10:45 p.m. EST to buy tickets. The drawing is held at 11 p.m. EST in Atlanta.

Photo by Jenna Fisher, Patch