Lottery jackpot records
Encyclopedia
Lottery jackpot records have always attracted attention of lottery
analysts and players.
It is generally believed that Spanish Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad
is the world's largest lottery. However, as every number entered is printed on 170 tickets which are usually sold in fractions (usually tenths), the El Gordo prizes are usually split between multiple winners.
for a major jackpot winner is often misleading. Winners often find themselves in a tax bracket much greater than 25%, often paying additional to the IRS when they file their returns.
All lump-sum prizes listed below are reported as the pre-tax amount, as this is the income the player earned and must report on their returns to be subject to taxation. Jackpot amounts are reported as the annuity payout.
, unless a lump sum (if allowed) is chosen by the winner(s), European jackpots are generally tax-free (the lotteries themselves are taxed in other ways) and jackpots are paid in lump sum. In the United Kingdom, lottery wagers are split between Camelot plc and the government. Camelot, the game operator, takes some of the money for the prizes, some for operating costs, a small amount (about 0.5 penny of each ₤1) for profit, and puts the rest into their 'good causes' program. The remainder of the money (after Camelot's share) goes to the government as tax. The government collects VAT
on ticket sales despite getting a cut of the entry.
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
analysts and players.
It is generally believed that Spanish Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad
Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad
The Spanish Christmas Lottery is a national lottery game organized every year since 1812 by a branch of the Spanish Public Administration, now called Loterías y Apuestas del Estado. The name Sorteo de Navidad was used for the first time in 1892...
is the world's largest lottery. However, as every number entered is printed on 170 tickets which are usually sold in fractions (usually tenths), the El Gordo prizes are usually split between multiple winners.
United States
All lottery winnings are subject to Federal taxes; many smaller jurisdictions also levy taxes. The IRS requires at least a 25% withholding of any gambling wins in excess of $5,000. However, the netNet (economics)
In economics, net means after deductions. A related concept is gross, meaning before deductions.Nett is an alternative spelling used in British English.-Usage:...
for a major jackpot winner is often misleading. Winners often find themselves in a tax bracket much greater than 25%, often paying additional to the IRS when they file their returns.
All lump-sum prizes listed below are reported as the pre-tax amount, as this is the income the player earned and must report on their returns to be subject to taxation. Jackpot amounts are reported as the annuity payout.
Largest US lottery prizes
- $390 million, Mega MillionsMega MillionsMega Millions is a US multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game. Since it replaced The Big Game in May 2002 , Mega Millions' advertised jackpots have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments , increasing when there is no jackpot winner...
, won March 6, 2007, by 2 tickets, in GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. (Cash payout was $233.1 million, second all-time). The largest jackpot in an American lottery. - On January 4, 2011 a $380 million Mega Millions jackpot was won, by Jim and Carolyn McCullar of Ephrata, WashingtonEphrata, WashingtonEphrata is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,808 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County.-History:...
, and Holly Lahti of Rathdrum, IdahoRathdrum, IdahoRathdrum is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. The population was 6,826 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Rathdrum is located at ....
.(Cash payout of $240 million is the largest in the history of the American lottery). - $365 million, PowerballPowerballPowerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
, won February 18, 2006, in NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. Biggest win ever for a single ticket. It was shared by eight persons who worked for a ConAgra meatpacking plant. - $363 million, The Big Game (precursor of Mega Millions), won May 9, 2000, by 2 tickets, in IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. - $340 million, Powerball, won October 19, 2005, in OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. - $336 million, Mega Millions, won August 28, 2009, by 2 tickets, in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. - $331 million, The Big Game, won April 16, 2002, by 3 tickets, in Georgia, Illinois and New Jersey.
- $330 million, Mega Millions, won August 31, 2007, by 4 tickets, in New Jersey, MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. - $319 million, Mega Millions, won March 25, 2011, by 1 ticket, in New York.
- On November 15, 2005 a group called "The Lucky 7", of Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, won the $315 million Mega Millions jackpot. Choosing cash, their prize was $175 million. - Andrew J. Whittaker Jr.Jack Whittaker (lottery winner)Andrew Jackson “Jack” Whittaker, Jr. is a West Virginia businessman who became famous when he won US$314.9 million in the Powerball multi-state lottery. At the time it was the largest jackpot ever won by a single winning ticket in the history of American lottery...
of West Virginia won $314.9 million in the Powerball drawing of December 25, 2002. Opting for the lump sum, as with most winners, his prize was $170,505,876 - $314.3 million, Powerball, won August 25, 2007, in IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. - Geraldine Williams from Lowell, MassachusettsLowell, MassachusettsLowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
, won the July 2, 2004 Mega Millions $294 million jackpot, choosing $168,480,412 cash. - On February 22, 2008, Robert and Tonya Harris of Portal, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
claimed a $275 million Mega Millions prize, choosing $167,694,000 cash. - On October 19, 2005, the $340 million Powerball jackpot was won. The lump sum value, $164.4 million, was chosen by the Chaney and West families in Oregon. The reason this cash payout is lower than Whittaker's despite a $24 million larger annuity is due to a change in the game's annuity structure, and flexible interest rates.
- On February 28, 2006 a $270 million Mega Millions jackpot was won in Ohio. The ticket was claimed by the M & H Blind TrustBlind trustA blind trust is a trust in which the fiduciaries, namely the trustees or those who have been given power of attorney, have full discretion over the assets, and the trust beneficiaries have no knowledge of the holdings of the trust and no right to intervene in their handling...
. The winner chose the lump sum of $158.8 million. - Harold and Helen Lerner of New JerseyNew Jersey LotteryThe New Jersey Lottery is run by the government of New Jersey. Its games consist of Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick-6, Jersey Cash 5, Pick-4, Pick-3, and scratch tickets. The Lottery is headquartered in the One Lawrence Park Complex in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.New Jersey Lottery players must...
won $258 million in the Mega Millions drawing of September 16, 2005, they chose the lump sum of $156,141,600.
Europe
Unlike in the US, where lottery wins are taxed, and the winnings paid through an annuityAnnuity (US financial products)
In the United States an annuity contract is created when an insured party, usually an individual, pays a life insurance company a single premium that will later be distributed back to the insured party over time...
, unless a lump sum (if allowed) is chosen by the winner(s), European jackpots are generally tax-free (the lotteries themselves are taxed in other ways) and jackpots are paid in lump sum. In the United Kingdom, lottery wagers are split between Camelot plc and the government. Camelot, the game operator, takes some of the money for the prizes, some for operating costs, a small amount (about 0.5 penny of each ₤1) for profit, and puts the rest into their 'good causes' program. The remainder of the money (after Camelot's share) goes to the government as tax. The government collects VAT
Vat
Vat or VAT may refer to:* A type of container such as a barrel, storage tank, or tub, often constructed of welded sheet stainless steel, and used for holding, storing, and processing liquids such as milk, wine, and beer...
on ticket sales despite getting a cut of the entry.
- SuperEnalottoSuperEnalottoSuperEnalotto is a lottery that has been played in Italy since 3 December 1997. Draws take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM. The jackpots won are among the largest in the world, and the odds of winning the worst in the world....
is ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's largest lottery. On August 22, 2009, the jackpot was won for the first time since January 31. The jackpot of €147,807,299.08 (US$205 million) went to a resident of BagnoneBagnoneBagnone is a comune in the Province of Massa-Carrara in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 120 km northwest of Florence and about 35 km northwest of Massa in the Lunigiana, facing the Monte Sillara...
(Toscana).
- EuroMillionsEuroMillionsEuroMillions is a transnational lottery, launched on 7 February 2004 by France's Française des Jeux, Spain's Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, and the United Kingdom's Camelot. The first draw was held on Friday 13 February 2004 in Paris...
is a pan-EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an lotteryLotteryA lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
, with odds of 1 in 116,531,800 (1 in 76,275,360 before May 2011) and a minimum jackpot of €15 million (US$21 million). - The largest one-play Euromillions jackpot, £161,653,000 (US$260 million) was won on 14 July 2011 by Colin and Chris Weir of Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland. This is Europe's biggest jackpot on one ticket.
- In July 2005, housewife Dolores McNamara, of LimerickLimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, won a tax-free lump sum of €115,436,126 when she hit a nine-week rollover jackpot.
- On February 3, 2006, EuroMillions had a prize of €183 million, which was shared between three winning tickets, two in France and one in Portugal, each winning €61,191,026.
- In May 2009, a 25-year-old woman from MallorcaMallorcaMajorca or Mallorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands.The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
won a EuroMillions jackpot of €126,231,764. The jackpot had accumulated after rolling over for 6 consecutive draws. It is rumoured that she was suffering from flu and was getting ready to go back into work before she found out about her winnings. She quit from her job within minutes of finding out.
- German National Lottery biggest lottery winning of €37,688,292 was taken on 7 October 2006. The largest jackpot was €45,382,458 in December 2007 and was split between three winning tickets.
- Largest UK prize was £22,590,829 and hit in June 1995. The largest jackpot was £42,008,610 on 6 January 1996 and was split between three winning tickets.
- France Lottery biggest lottery winning of €24,000,000 was taken on 6 June 2011. The largest jackpot was €30,009,676 in May 2006 and was split between two winning tickets (SuperLoto).
- Belgium National Lottery biggest lottery winning of €7,000,000 was taken in October 2006 (SuperLotto). The largest jackpot was €10,000,000 in February 2008 and was split between ten winning tickets (SuperLotto).
- The Irish National Lottery has a guaranteed jackpot of €2 million for each of its twice-weekly Lotto draws.
- The second largest ever Irish National Lottery jackpot of €18,963,441 was won on June 28, 2008 by a syndicate of sixteen work colleagues at a quarry and concrete plant in County CarlowCounty CarlowCounty Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
- The EuroMillions jackpot of £91,141,671.00 was split into two prizes of £45,570,835.50 on November 6, 2009, one prize was won by a syndicate of seven work colleagues at an IT company in Liverpool, the other by a couple from South WalesSouth WalesSouth Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.