West Virginia Lottery

WVLottery MEGA Millions Jackpot Analysis

The MEGA Millions jackpot for the draw on Fri May 1, 2026 is estimated to be $178 Million, with a cash option of 79.6 Million. If you win the MEGA Millions jackpot, the IRS will withhold 24% of your prize money upfront, and you may owe up to an additional 13% in federal taxes when the tax is due. Additionally, if you are a resident of West Virginia, your state will take 6.5% of your lottery winnings.

Please note that the calculation of the MEGA Millions jackpot prizes and taxes below is based on FEDERAL INCOME TAX BRACKETS FOR 2023.

West Virginia MEGA Millions Jackpot/Cash Option for Fri May 1, 2026

Draw Date	Jackpot	Cash Option
Fri May 1, 2026	$178,000,000	$79,600,000

Lumpsum Option Taxes and Payment

Category	Amount
Cash Gross Payment	$79,600,000
Federal Tax(24%)	$19,104,000
Additional Federal Tax	$10,308,330
State Tax(6.5%)	$5,174,000
Net Lumpsum Payment	$45,013,670

Annuity Payment in 30 Installations

Year	Gross Payment	Fed/State Tax	Net Payment
1	$2,679,078	-$951,589 -$174,140	$1,553,349
2	$2,813,112	-$1,001,182 -$182,852	$1,629,078
3	$2,953,732	-$1,053,211 -$191,993	$1,708,528
4	$3,101,472	-$1,107,875 -$201,596	$1,792,001
5	$3,256,510	-$1,165,239 -$211,673	$1,879,598
6	$3,419,380	-$1,225,501 -$222,260	$1,971,619
7	$3,590,260	-$1,288,727 -$233,367	$2,068,166
8	$3,769,862	-$1,355,179 -$245,041	$2,169,642
9	$3,958,364	-$1,424,925 -$257,294	$2,276,145
10	$4,156,300	-$1,498,161 -$270,160	$2,387,979
11	$4,364,026	-$1,575,020 -$283,662	$2,505,344
12	$4,582,254	-$1,655,764 -$297,847	$2,628,643
13	$4,811,340	-$1,740,526 -$312,737	$2,758,077
14	$5,051,996	-$1,829,569 -$328,380	$2,894,047
15	$5,304,578	-$1,923,024 -$344,798	$3,036,756
16	$5,569,798	-$2,021,156 -$362,037	$3,186,605
17	$5,848,190	-$2,124,161 -$380,132	$3,343,897
18	$6,140,644	-$2,232,369 -$399,142	$3,509,133
19	$6,447,694	-$2,345,977 -$419,100	$3,682,617
20	$6,770,052	-$2,465,250 -$440,053	$3,864,749
21	$7,108,608	-$2,590,515 -$462,060	$4,056,033
22	$7,464,074	-$2,722,038 -$485,165	$4,256,871
23	$7,837,162	-$2,860,080 -$509,416	$4,467,666
24	$8,229,118	-$3,005,104 -$534,893	$4,689,121
25	$8,640,476	-$3,157,307 -$561,631	$4,921,538
26	$9,072,660	-$3,317,215 -$589,723	$5,165,722
27	$9,526,204	-$3,485,026 -$619,203	$5,421,975
28	$10,002,532	-$3,661,267 -$650,165	$5,691,100
29	$10,502,712	-$3,846,334 -$682,676	$5,973,702
30	$11,027,812	-$4,040,621 -$716,808	$6,270,383