$4M Mega Millions ticket sold in Baltimore as Powerball reaches $1 billion

BALTIMORE -- A lucky lottery player in Baltimore is $4 million richer after last night's Mega Millions drawing, Maryland Lottery and Gaming said Wednesday. 

The customer bought the ticket in Downtown Baltimore at Lobby Shop on North Charles Street. The winner actually got the $1 million second-tier prize, but spent an extra dollar to add the "Megaplier," which quadrupled the winnings last night. 

Last night's winning numbers were 19, 22, 31, 37 and 54. The Mega Ball number was 18 and the optional Megaplier number was X4, the gaming commission said. 

The jackpot for Mega Millions, which nobody has won yet, sits at an estimated $720 million for the Friday drawing. 

A Harvard statistician tells CBS News you have a 1 in 292.2 million chance of matching all six numbers. 

"Snowball's chance in hell, basically," Baltimore County resident Jerry Alt said.

You are more likely to be struck by lightning, attacked by a Yellowstone grizzly bear.

But, despite the near-impossible odds, there is still a chance. 

"You've got to do a lot of praying to win this thing," said Gene, a Baltimore resident.

"When I saw it get up to $1 billion and I just see everybody else playing, I said why not? It might be my time," said Monique McLeod, a Howard County resident.

It isn't the only giant jackpot around. The Powerball reached $1 billion this week.   

Winning tickets have been sold all over the Baltimore area, but there have only been three Powerball jackpots sold ever in Maryland.

"People think it's a pretty good spot because they see the sign that says we have a Powerball winner here," said Kristin Choi, from the Lobby Shop. "People are just hoping for another winner."

The first Powerball jackpot-winning ticket was sold in Abingdon in the Fall of 2011. A few months later, another winning ticket was sold in Elkton. 

Most recently, in january of 2021, a $731.1 jackpot winner was in lonaconing. 

If you match all six numbers Wednesday, you would be the third largest jackpot in Powerball history. 

 "Here's the winning ticket right here. I'm going to win," McLeod said.