Someone won US$1.35 billion, Mega Millions' second biggest lottery prize
Friday the 13th wasn’t just lucky for one American lottery player — it was life-changing.
The last time someone won the Mega Millions jackpot was on October 14, 2022, with two winning ticket holders splitting the US$502 million (CND$672,200,590) prize.
Since then, lottery players have had their eye on the prize as, after 26 draws and months without a winner, the Mega Millions jackpot grew to a mammoth US$1.348 billion (CND$1,804,837,200) — the second biggest in the lottery game’s history. After taxes, the winner will walk away with US$723.5 million (CND$968,918,435) in cash.
According to a release, the winning ticket was sold at Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine, the small town’s first-ever Mega Millions win.
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The Maine resident is the owner of the valuable ticket after matching the winning numbers 30, 43, 45, 46 and 61, plus the gold Mega Ball 14.
“It’s the fourth billion-dollar jackpot in Mega Millions history,” said Ohio Lottery Director Pat McDonald, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium. “We thank all our retailers for their hard work during this spectacular run, and our customers for their enthusiasm and support.”
On October 23, 2018, an anonymous player in South Carolina won the biggest Mega Millions jackpot worth US$1.537 billion (CND$2,058,911,405).
The next Mega Millions draw will take place on Tuesday, January 17, with the prize resetting to its current starting value of US$20 million (CND$26,791,600) — US$10.7 million (CND$14,333,506) cash.
Last November, after three months without a winner, the Powerball jackpot grew to an estimated US$2.04 billion (CND$2,744,362,872 at the time). A winner in California finally won in the November 7 draw.
Lottery players don’t have to be US residents — Canadians can also buy tickets for the Powerball and Mega Millions.
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