In an exciting turn of events, the ninth Mega Millions jackpot of 2023 has been claimed by a lone ticket holder in Texas.

The jackpot, valued at $361 million ($157.3 million in cash), now stands as the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won in the Lone Star State. This also marks the first Mega Millions jackpot in Texas since September 24, 2019.

This lucky ticket holder matched all six numbers in the October 6, Friday night drawing, clinching the multi-million dollar prize. The winning numbers were the white balls 12, 24, 46, 57, and 66, along with the gold Mega Ball 22.

This grand prize, adjusted slightly upwards based on actual sales, had been steadily accumulating since its last claim at $39 million in Florida on August 15.

The excitement surrounding this record-breaking win extended across the nation. A total of 905,170 winning tickets emerged from various prize tiers in the October 6 drawing.

Six lucky ticket holders achieved the second-tier prize by matching the five white balls. Two of these, sold in Michigan and New Jersey, are now valued at $3 million each, thanks to the inclusion of the optional Megaplier (available in most states with an additional $1 purchase), set at 3X for the fateful Friday night.

The remaining four Match 5 tickets secured the standard second-tier prize and were sold in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

Among the nationwide celebrations, 25 tickets precisely matched four white balls in addition to the Mega Ball, landing the third-tier prize. Three of these fortunate winners will enjoy rewards of $30,000 each, as they wisely opted for the Megaplier. The remaining 22 third-tier winners will relish prizes of $10,000 each.

During the remarkable 15-drawing jackpot streak, more than 8.7 million winning tickets emerged across all prize levels.

These include a total of 16 second-tier prizes of $1 million or more, claimed across 12 different states, spanning from coast to coast.

The lucky jurisdictions with million-dollar winners are California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.

In an astonishing year for Mega Millions, eight other jackpots have already been claimed. This included the astounding Mega Millions record-breaking prize of $1.602 billion, which was secured in Florida on August 8. Additionally, a remarkable $1.348 billion prize was celebrated in Maine on January 13, serving as proof that jackpots can be secured at any given time.

This year has witnessed the triumphant allocation of two $20 million jackpots (January 17 and April 18, both in New York), one at $31 million and another at $33 million (both in Massachusetts, on January 31 and January 24, respectively), a $39 million grand prize (in Florida on August 15), and a colossal $483 million win on April 14 in New York.

The jackpot frenzy has reached its height, with a total of nine Mega Millions jackpots claimed this year, a remarkable feat not seen since 2014. The allure of this exciting lottery continues to captivate participants, offering the chance to turn dreams into reality with every ticket purchase.

Tickets for the $2 Mega Millions game are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In most jurisdictions, players can add the Megaplier for an additional $1 to multiply their non-jackpot prizes. Half of the proceeds from the sale of each Mega Millions ticket remains in the state where the ticket was sold, where the money supports designated good causes and retailer commissions.