Mega Millions Winner: Louisiana Lottery Confirms Friday’s Big Win

This is the weekend that people in Louisiana have been talking about since January. It doesn't matter where you have the conversation. It could be on the beach at Grand Isle, in the exercise yard with the girls in St. Gabriel, or sitting quietly spinning fidgets in Pineville or Jackson, at some point college football will be discussed.

And while the rest of the world thinks of Labor Day and a day off, in Louisiana we're contemplating point spreads, screen passes, and what should we cook for tailgating. You might be wondering what does an increased passion for college football have to do with a multi-state lottery game?

College football and pro football tickets are at the top of the "bucket lists" for lottery winners in Louisiana. A media outlet did an informal survey  asking "What's something you've always wanted but would only buy if you won the lottery".  Season tickets for LSU and the Saints were among the top answers. There were a few swimming pools, new trucks, and spousal replacements that were mentioned too.

In Friday's Mega Millions drawing there was a big winner in Louisiana. The game's top prize was an estimated $627 million for the annuitized jackpot and I'll be dog gone if a Louisiana-sold ticket didn't come about as close as you can get without bringing all the bacon home.

Here's how the August 30, 2024, Mega Millions drawing played out:

Friday's Mega Millions drawing did make some bigger winners outside of Louisiana. There was a Match 5 Million ticket sold in Florida. There was also a Match 5 Million with the Megaplier that was sold in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin winner will get $4 million before taxes because of that Megaplier option.

You could say the Florida ticket and the Wisconsin ticket missed by one number. You could also say the same thing for the big money winner in Louisiana too. While the Match 5 Million winners missed matching the Mega Ball, the Louisiana ticket did match the Mega Ball but it missed one of the five white ball numbers.

The prize according to the Official Mega Millions Rules for matching four white balls and the Mega Ball is $10,000. The Louisiana ticket purchaser opted for the Megaplier which was "times 4" on Friday night. That ticket is worth $40,000 this morning.

If you'd like to quickly check your Mega Millions tickets, here are the numbers that we observed rolling out of the hopper last night.

10   17   20   24   54   Megaball 08   Megaplier x4

Before you attempt to claim a prize make sure you verify your tickets at the Official Mega Millions Website or the Official Louisiana Lottery Website. Those sites do have the "official listing" of the winning numbers. They can also help you scan through a large number of tickets. The sites also provide detailed information on how to claim any prizes you may have won.

In Louisiana the $40,000 winner was sold in Violet, Louisiana. Violet holds the distiction of being a "census designated place" in St. Bernard Parish. The population of this small community located just down the river from New Orleans is listed at just over 5,000. And perhaps one of those 5,000 folks purchased a Mega Millions ticket at South Lake Foods on the East Judge Perez Highway. If they did, they've got $40,000 more than they had just 24 hours ago.

The Louisiana Lottery will host drawings tonight for Lotto which has a top prize of $675,000 and Easy 5 which has a top prize of $180,000. Those drawings will go off along with tonight's multi-state Powerball drawing.

The Powerball jackpot is estimated to be $69 million for the annuity and if you won and opted for the lump sum you'd be looking at a payout of $34.3 million. Those are before taxes numbers I am sure once the taxman takes a bite your winnings would be considerably less.

With lottery games comes the risk of losing money. Do play responsibly. If you have gambling problem call 1-877- 770- STOP (7867). You can set up counseling and get other important and helpful information free of charge when you call that number. Good Luck.