Winning ticket for $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot sold in Maine, but 2 Calif. tickets come close
A Mega Millions ticket sold in Maine matched Friday night’s winning numbers to score the lottery game’s estimated $1.35 billion grand prize. But two people who bought tickets in California — one in Riverside and the other in Burlingame — matched 5 numbers for prizes of more than $900,000 each.
Friday’s jackpot was the second-biggest jackpot that Mega Millions has ever seen and the fourth-largest across US lottery history. The win also marks the first time that a Mega Millions jackpot has ever been won in Maine, according to Mega Millions.
After no jackpot winner for 25 consecutive drawings, Mega Millions’ top prize has climbed higher and higher in recent months.
Friday’s winner, whose name is not yet known, overcame the extremely slim odds of taking home the Mega Millions jackpot – which stands at about 1 in 302.6 million.
The “5/5” tickets sold in California were purchased at the Stater Bros. supermarket at 2995 Iowa Avenue in Riverside, and the Chevron gas station at 1101 Broadway in Burlingame, south of San Francisco. The California Lottery said those tickets were worth $928,260.
Why have lottery prizes grown so large? Another record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot is up for grabs Friday. Here’s why.
Graphics: How much do you win after taxes on Mega Millions? The $1.35 billion jackpot shrank significantly
To claim the full $1.35 billion, the winner would need to take the money in an annuity with annual payments over 29 years. Most jackpot recipients preferred the reduced but quicker cash option, which for Friday night’s drawing was an estimated $724.6 million.
Superstitious lottery players may also note that Friday’s drawing marked the seventh time there was a Mega Millions jackpot winner on a Friday the 13th.
Mega Millions winning numbers: Friday, 1/13/23
The winning numbers for Friday night’s drawing were 30-43-45-46-61, Mega Ball: 14 and Megaplier was 2X.
Who won Mega Millions last night? Where was the ticket sold?
The ticket was sold at Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine, the Maine State Lottery said.
In addition to a jackpot winner, there were more than 7 million winning tickets sold across the lottery game’s other prize tiers. Nationwide, 14 tickets matched all five white balls, including the two in California. Mega Millions said.
What should I do if I win the lottery? Here’s what you need to know.
Four of the winning Match-5 tickets were sold in New York. The rest came from Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas.
$1.35 billion jackpot won on Friday the 13th
Mega Millions’ estimated $1.35 billion jackpot was won on Friday the 13th, which might catch the eye of some superstitious lottery players.
Friday’s prize is the seventh Mega Millions jackpot that has been won on a Friday the 13th over the years, according to the lottery game.
Friday also marked seven years after three tickets split, the then-largest lottery jackpot in US history. On Jan. 13, 2016 (unfortunately a Wednesday, not a Friday), three winners cashed in on the $1.586 billion Powerball prize.
What are the chances of winning Mega Millions?
A giant jackpot attracts a lot of players – but it’s important to note that the odds of taking home a Mega Millions top prize are extremely slim. Experts stress that people entering the lottery shouldn’t buy more tickets than they can afford.
“Imagine you write the letters to ‘Mega Millions’ on individual pieces of paper, mix them up, and let your paint randomly select letters. Your cat is five times more likely to correctly spell ‘Mega Millions’ than you are to win,” Matthew Kovach, an assistant professor of economics at Virginia Tech, told USA TODAY this week.
What are my chances of winning the lottery? Here’s what you need to know.
Kovach added that you are also more likely to be struck by lightning twice in your lifetime than win the lottery.
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The odds of winning the jackpot are 302,575,350 to 1.
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The odds to match all five white balls are 12,607,306 to 1.
Largest lottery prizes in US history
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$2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022: Won in California.
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$1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016: Three winners in California, Florida, Tennessee.
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$1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina.
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$1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13: Won in Maine
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$1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022: Won in Illinois.
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$1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021: Won in Michigan.
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$768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019: Won in Wisconsin.
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$758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017: Won in Massachusetts.
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$730 million, Powerball, Jan. 20, 2021: Won in Maryland.
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$699.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 4, 2021: Won in California.
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Contributing: The Associated Press. Jennifer Sangalang, Florida Today.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mega Millions: Winning ticket for $1.35 billion sold in Maine Jan. 13