A fortunate Mega Millions player is certainly in for a lavish New Year celebration following the latest lottery drawing. After a dry spell of three months without a top prize winner, a ticket valued at approximately $1.22 billion was purchased in California during the draw held on Friday night, as reported on the Mega Millions website.
According to the California Lottery, the winning ticket was acquired at Circle K (Sunshine Food and Gas) located on Rhonda Road in Cottonwood, a small town approximately 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Sacramento. The ticket successfully matched the numbers on the white balls—3, 7, 37, 49, 55—and the gold Mega Ball, which was 6. Ishar Gill, whose family owns the store, expressed that this win is “a blessing” for their quaint community of around 6,000 residents. The winner’s identity remains a mystery, with no immediate information available.
In a statement, Gill mentioned, “We have no idea who the winner might be or who sold the ticket, but congratulations to the lucky individual.” The jackpot amount, which will only be available to those who select an annuity option spread over 29 years, is substantial. However, most winners typically prefer the lump sum cash option, which for this drawing is estimated at $549.7 million.
Despite the challenging odds of winning set at 1 in 302.6 million, ticket sales surged as the jackpot increased. The previous Mega Millions grand prize winner was recorded on September 10. To date, the largest Mega Millions prize—$1.6 billion—was awarded in Florida in August 2023. Comparatively, the Powerball lottery has seen two larger payouts in its history.
The Mega Millions and Powerball games are available in 45 states, along with Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while Powerball is also sold in Puerto Rico. In April, there will be an increase in the ticket price for Mega Millions from $2 to $5, among various upcoming changes aimed at providing better odds for jackpots, more frequent substantial winnings, and even larger payouts overall.
