LOTTERY officials are on the hunt for a lucky player who scooped a multi-million dollar prize in the Mega Millions draw.
The player was the biggest winner of Friday night but narrowly missed out on the $198 million jackpot.
No one won the top prize in Friday’s Mega Millions draw but one player did scoop $3 million (stock)[/caption]
A recent lottery change meant the player managed to triple their prize without any extra action or cost (stock)[/caption]
With no one claiming the top prize, it rolls over once again to a staggering $216 million.
But one lucky player still managed to scoop a $3 million prize by correctly guessing the first five numbers.
This meant they missed out on the huge windfall by just one number – the Mega Ball.
The winning numbers for August 15 were: 4, 17, 27, 34, 69 with Mega Ball 16.
However, a lottery change recently brought in meant the lucky player became the biggest winner of the night as an extra $1 million was added to their prize.
The second-tier prize for Mega Millions is $1 million, but under new rules that took effect in April, the Megaplier that used to be optional is now automatically added to the ticket at random.
This can massively increase the prize amount by up to 10 times.
On Friday, one player who scooped the $1 million prize had a 3X Megaplier on their ticket meaning it was immediately tripled at no extra cost.
The only other $1 million winner on Friday had less luck with just a 2X Megaplier which doubled their win.
Both winners were in New York with nothing else known about them as officials urge players to check their tickets and claim their cash.
The two overnight millionaires have exactly a year from the date of the draw to claim their winnings.
Now, the next opportunity to try to win the Mega Millions grand prize will be on August 19.
Players will have the chance to win an estimated jackpot of $216 million or a cash option of $97 million.
The latest jackpot winner was on June 27 in Virginia when a lucky player scooped a whopping $348 million – the biggest jackpot of the year.
Top lottery winners in the US
Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.
- Edwin Castro – $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022, in California.
- Theodorus Struyck – $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, in California.
- Unknown winner – $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
- Marvin and Mae Acosta from Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach, Florida – $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016.
- Unknown winner – $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
- Unknown winner – he sued the mother of his child to keep his identity hidden – $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, from Maine.
- Unknown winner – $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
- Cheng and Duanpen Saephan, and Laiza Liem Chao – $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
- Rosemary Casarotti – $1.22 billion, Mega Millions, December 27 2024, from California
- Unknown winner – $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, from New Jersey
Three other players have also won the jackpot in 2025 with one winner in Ohio taking home $112 million in April, another in Illinois claiming $344 million in March, and one seeing in the new year with a $113 million windfall in January.
Meanwhile, a lottery expert and mathematician spoke to The U.S. Sun about how to increase your odds of winning by shopping selectively.
It comes after a study showed that a certain type of store is statistically the luckiest to get your ticket from.
Plus lottery officials are urging players to keep their tickets safe and to always check them after a draw.
One Powerball winner who won $200k has been sitting on their prize for months but now the clock is ticking to claim the cash before it vanishes
Even larger prizes are waiting for their winners in other states.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling online.
Both of the big winners on Friday were from New York and are urged to check their tickets now (stock)[/caption]
