Each $US1 ticket sold makes up the hefty prize, which was worth $US357 million on Tuesday evening, if a victor chooses an immediate cash payout instead of an initial payment and then 29 annual payments.
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With slightly better odds than the Powerball game, the Mega Millions jackpot usually doesn’t last this long.
“It takes much bigger jackpots to get players excited”, Paula Otto, executive director of the Virginia Lottery and lead director for Mega Millions, told the AP.
In total for the drawing, there were more than 7.3 million winning tickets sold at all prize levels.
A very lucky California Lottery player who purchased his or her ticket in Temecula is holding over $2.3 million, according to the lottery’s website. Drawings are Tuesday and Friday nights at 11 p.m.
Powerball jackpots start at $40 million and roll until the jackpot is won. Players can also just select Easy Pick.
One ticket each with five numbers, but missing the Mega number, were sold in Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas.
More recently, David Kaltschmidt and Maureen Smith of Melbourne Beach, Fla., claimed a share of the $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot. The lottery’s only other victor this year came on January 8 when Nancy Viola won $169 million.
The $508 million prize would be the game’s highest since a $636 million jackpot in 2013. The Gold Mega Ball was 14, and the Megaplier Multiplier was 02.
The prize would be Mega Millions’ third-largest jackpot ever and the seventh-biggest USA lottery prize of all time.
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So far this year, only two tickets have matched the numbers on all five white balls and the yellow Mega Ball.
