It happened in Lebanon. A tiny town in York County, Maine, became the center of the gambling universe on a freezing Friday the 13th in January 2023. One person walked into a Hometown Gas & Grill, spent a few bucks, and walked out with a ticket worth $1.35 billion.
People forget how rare that is.
Maine isn't exactly a high-volume state compared to California or Florida, yet the Maine Lottery Mega Millions scene consistently punches above its weight. You’ve probably heard people say the lottery is just a "math tax." Maybe. But for Mainers, it’s a specific kind of ritual involving local convenience stores and a weirdly high frequency of massive secondary prizes.
The Billion-Dollar Ghost of Lebanon
Everyone wants to know who won that massive jackpot. Honestly? We still don’t really know. The winner came forward through a limited liability company called Lahesh Deserving Trust. They opted for the one-time lump sum payment of $723,564,144 before taxes. Think about that number for a second. It is an astronomical amount of liquidity for a single individual in a state where the median household income hovers around $63,000.
The Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations (BABLO) handled the claim with extreme privacy, which is standard but frustrating for the curious. The state took a massive cut, though. Maine’s top income tax rate hit that prize hard, funneling over $50 million directly into state coffers. That’s the part people miss. Even if you don't win, the state's General Fund wins every time a ticket is scanned.
Maine joined Mega Millions back in 2010. Since then, it’s been a slow burn of $1 million and $2 million wins until the 2023 explosion. It changed the vibe. Now, when the jackpot creeps toward $500 million, the lines at C-stores from Kittery to Fort Kent get noticeably longer.
How the Maine Lottery Mega Millions Actually Works
You pick five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 25. Simple. It costs $2.
If you’re feeling lazy, you get a "Easy Pick." Most people do. In fact, most jackpot winners are Easy Picks, though that’s just because most tickets sold are generated that way. It’s not a secret strategy; it’s just volume.
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The Megaplier is where things get interesting for the "smaller" prizes. For an extra $1, you can multiply non-jackpot winnings by 2, 3, 4, or 5 times. I’ve seen $1 million prizes turn into $5 million because someone had the foresight to check that extra box. In a state like Maine, where $5 million is "set for life" money, it’s a popular add-on.
Where the Money Goes
The Maine Lottery isn't just a black hole. Since 1974, they’ve transferred over $1.5 billion to the General Fund. This pays for things you actually use:
- Local schools and education infrastructure.
- Wildlife conservation through the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund.
- General state services that would otherwise require higher property or sales taxes.
Basically, when you lose, you're technically "donating" to a new bridge or a school lunch program. Sorta makes the loss sting less. Kinda.
The Odds: A Reality Check
The odds of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.6 million.
To put that in perspective, you are more likely to be struck by lightning while being eaten by a shark. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but you get it. Your odds of winning $1 million (matching five numbers but not the Mega Ball) are much better: 1 in 12.6 million.
Still long shots.
The overall odds of winning any prize (even just getting your $2 back) are about 1 in 24. This is why people keep playing. The "near-miss" phenomenon is real. You see three numbers match and your brain chemicals spike. You're hooked for the next drawing.
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Strategies That Aren't Actually Strategies
I see people at Hannaford analyzing past winning numbers like they’re decoding the Enigma machine. They look for "cold" numbers that haven't appeared in a while or "hot" numbers that are on a streak.
Here is the cold, hard truth: the balls don't have a memory.
Each drawing is a discrete event. The number 42 appearing Tuesday has zero impact on whether it appears Friday. However, there is one legitimate strategy regarding the prize pool. Most people pick birthdays or anniversaries. This means numbers 1 through 31 are over-played. If you pick numbers higher than 31 and you actually win, you’re less likely to have to split the jackpot with twelve other people who also used their grandmother's birthday.
It won't increase your chances of winning. It just increases your chances of keeping the whole pile of cash.
Tax Implications for Maine Winners
Maine doesn't play around with taxes. If you win more than $5,000, the Maine Revenue Services is going to take their 7.1% (the top bracket) right off the top. Then the IRS takes 24% as a federal withholding.
Wait.
The 24% is just the withholding. Since the top federal tax bracket is actually 37%, you’ll owe another 13% when you file your return the following year. If you win a $100 million jackpot, you should probably just pretend you won $50 million and put the rest in a "tax jail" account immediately.
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What to Do If You Actually Win
If you find yourself holding a ticket worth a few hundred million at a gas station in Bangor, do not sign the back immediately. Wait.
First, take a photo of the front and back. Then, put it in a safe or a bank lockbox. Call a lawyer—specifically one who deals with high-net-worth estates. Then call a tax professional.
Maine allows winners to remain somewhat anonymous by claiming prizes through a trust or LLC. This is vital. In 2023, the Lebanon winner remained anonymous, which likely saved them from thousands of "long-lost cousins" and scam artists showing up on their doorstep. Once you sign that ticket in your own name, it becomes a public record.
The Local Economic Ripple
When a big ticket is sold in Maine, the retailer gets a massive bonus. For the $1.35 billion win, Hometown Gas & Grill received a $50,000 seller’s bonus. That's a huge win for a small business. It usually goes toward employee bonuses or upgrading the shop.
It also creates "lucky store" syndrome. People will drive for miles to buy a ticket at a place that recently sold a winner, even though—again—mathematically, it makes no difference.
Actionable Steps for the Next Drawing
If you’re going to play, play smart. Don't spend the rent money.
- Set a strict budget. Whether it’s $2 or $10 a week, stick to it. The "investment" return on the lottery is historically terrible, so treat it as entertainment, not a retirement plan.
- Use the Maine Lottery App. It’s actually decent. You can scan your tickets to see if you won without having to squint at the numbers on a blurry TV screen.
- Check for "Second Chance" drawings. Sometimes the Maine Lottery runs promotions where non-winning tickets can be entered into a secondary drawing for cash or prizes. Most people throw these in the trash. Don't be "most people."
- Join a pool, but get it in writing. Office pools are great for increasing your "team" odds, but they are legal nightmares if you win. Write down who paid, how much, and what the split is. Everyone signs. No exceptions.
- Look beyond the jackpot. The $1 million and $2 million prizes are life-changing but much more "attainable" than the billion-dollar headlines.
The Maine Lottery Mega Millions experience is a mix of small-town hope and big-league math. Whether you're buying a ticket at a Cumberland Farms in Portland or a general store in the County, the dream is the same. Just remember that the house—or in this case, the State of Maine—always gets its cut.
Play for the fun of it. The moment it stops being fun, you've already lost.