DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Lottery officials say someone has won the Mega Millions lottery jackpot, but the total fell short of setting a new world record.
Mega Millions officials say a ticket purchased in South Carolina matches all six numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing.
The earlier estimate of $1.6 billion would have been a world record for lotteries, but actual sales came in just short of the estimate for a total of $1.537 billion, if paid out over 30 years. That’s worth about $877.8 million in a lump-sum cash payment.
Maryland Lottery spokeswoman Carol Gentry says estimated payouts are based on historical patterns, and ‘there are few precedents for a jackpot of this size.” She says typically about 70 percent of sales occur on the day of the drawing, “so forecasting precise numbers in advance can be difficult” and that’s why they always use the term “estimate.”
South Carolina’s lottery director says they hope to reveal the identify of the store that sold the winning ticket by mid-day Wednesday.
In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” South Carolina Education Lottery Director William Hogan Brown says the store could be identified around the noon hour. That should give them time to get security in place, since attention should be red-hot.
Asked whether the name of the winner would ever come to light, Brown said “Perhaps not.” South Carolina law allows winners to remain anonymous.
Mega Millions officials say a ticket purchased in South Carolina matches all six numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing. That flimsy piece of paper is now worth $1.537 billion, just shy of a world-record.
The winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5. The jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of California office workers won $543 million. We may never know who actually won the jackpot though. South Carolina is one of eight states where winners can remain anonymous.
The lucky player overcame miserable odds. The chance of matching all six numbers and winning the top prize is 1 in 302.5 million.
Mega Millions is played in 44 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
