A person who bought a single ticket in New Jersey beat the odds Tuesday night and won a $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, breaking a winless record dating back to December of last year.
The numbers drawn were 7, 11, 22, 29, 38, and the gold mega ball 4. State lottery officials said the winning ticket was sold at ShopRite Wines & Spirits of Neptune on the Jersey Shore. According to New Jersey Lottery officials, this is the largest jackpot win in state history.
Lottery officials said at a press conference Wednesday that people with winning tickets have not yet come forward to claim their prizes. Under a law signed by Governor Phil Murphy in 2020, New Jersey lottery winners can remain anonymous. New Jersey is one of 18 states where lottery winners can remain anonymous.
Panel says online gambling could soon be introduced in New York, Maryland and possibly California.
Lottery officials said the winning ticket was purchased Tuesday night by a person who chose the numbers himself without using the system’s Quick Pick option.
Retailers receive a $30,000 bonus from the lottery ticket sales.
Richard Saker, president and CEO of Saker ShopRites, which operates the store, said the bonus money will go to Fulfill, a community food bank serving the Jersey Shore through ShopRite’s “Partners in Caring” program. He said it would be donated.
Lottery player Mariano Velasquez holds a number pick sheet for the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery tickets as he buys tickets at Presidente Supermarket in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood on August 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Wilfried Lee)
Until the latest drawing, no one had matched all six numbers to win the Mega Millions jackpot since Dec. 8. This is his 30th consecutive drawing without a big winner.
Winning the Mega Millions jackpot is extremely difficult as the odds are extremely long at 1 in 302.6 million.
The prize is the eighth largest in U.S. lottery history.
The $1.13 billion jackpot will be paid out through the annuity in an initial payment and 29 annual payments thereafter. Most winners choose to pay out in cash, which brings his total to $537.5 million.
The next big US lottery drawing will take place on Wednesday night, with an estimated $865 million Powerball jackpot at stake. No one has won the prize since New Year’s Day, making him one of 36 drawings without a winner.
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Mega Millions is played in 45 states, plus Washington DC and the US Virgin Islands. Powerball is played in these states as well as Washington, DC, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
