California store sells winning $1.22 billion Mega Millions ticket
SACRAMENTO — The winning ticket for Friday night's estimated $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the fifth-largest in the game's history, was sold in Northern California.
The California Lottery said the lucky ticket was sold at a Circle K store in the Shasta County city of Cottonwood. It was the only ticket nationwide to match all six numbers in the drawing. The winning numbers were 3, 7, 37, 49, 55, and a Mega Ball of 6.
The jackpot-winning ticket was the first Mega Millions winner since an $810 million jackpot was won in Texas on September 10 and the third winning ticket of the year. The California Lottery noted that this was the seventh Mega Millions jackpot in history to be greater than $1 billion.
The lump sum payout for the $1.22 billion drawing was an estimated $549.7 million, a Mega Millions spokesperson told CBS News. The winner can also choose to receive the $1.22 billion annuity paid out over 30 years.
"What an amazing present this holiday season! At an incredibly special time of year, this is both an incredibly special moment for our winner, and for all the great organizations and causes that benefit from lottery ticket sales around the country," said Joshua Johnston, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium.
Two other tickets sold in California — one in the city of Roseville and another in San Bernadino — matched five of the six numbers, the California Lottery added. Those tickets each earned a prize of $787,543. Three other tickets matching five of six numbers were sold nationwide — one each in Texas, Arizona and Missouri.
Including the jackpot winner, Mega Millions said there were more than 5.6 million winners across all prize tiers during Friday's drawing and more than 31.4 million winning tickets across all prize tiers sold during what had been a 31-drawing run since the last jackpot was won.