No California Winners of $1 Billion Jackpot But Bay Area Player Matched 5 of 6
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- The Mega Millions numbers that could win an estimated $1 billion jackpot have been announced.
They are 15 23 53 65 70 and Mega Ball 7.
No one in California won the jackpot but one lucky lottery player bought a ticket at an Arco station in Morgan Hill matching five of six numbers.
The jackpot is the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. lottery history. Mega Millions says it may take an hour or two to determine if there is a winner.
The odds of winning are a miserable one in 302.5 million.
The prize has grown so large because no one has hit the jackpot since July 24, when a group in California won $543 million.
The $1 billion prize refers to the annuity option. Most winners opt for cash, which for Friday night's drawing would be $565 million.
Officials say that if there isn't a winner, the prize for Tuesday night's drawing would be $1.6 billion, tying the largest U.S. lottery prize.
Let Us Know What You Would Do with a Billion-Dollar Lottery Jackpot on the KPIX Facebook Page
When asked what they would do with the instant fortune, those lining up for tickets dreamed of luxury homes in the Bay Area's red-hot real estate market, vacation homes in Tahoe and Hawaii, helping family members and taking a trip around the world.
The single winner will take home a the cash lump of more than $548 million. The record payout would be the second largest -- the largest was a Powerball drawing for $1.59 billion in January 2016. Three winners split that total.
The odds of winning are astronomical and there will plenty of competition -- Mega Millions is played in California, 23 other states, plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
There was a Bay Area winner in Tuesday's Mega Million game drawing. A 20-something employee in the Marina Safeway bakery department matched 5 of 6 numbers in the then $667 million Mega Millions jackpot worth $1.9 million.
No one in the nation matched all six numbers.
Still the $1.9 million win created quite a stir at the store where tickets are sold.
"We didn't know at first so he was working maybe a good couple hours before someone told him to check his ticket," store manager Lea Maxwell told reporters. "We were walking around, trying to find out if someone hadn't shown up for work today. We were hoping it was one of our employees."
When she did find out, Maxwell was overjoyed.
"I think I ran from the meat department all the way to the front lobby," she said. "I believe I was screaming for joy. All of my employees started congregating around the customer service center to congratulate him."
And how did the young employee respond?
"I think he was extremely nervous," she said. "He didn't know what to do, so we kind of gave him a little direction and some assistance to work his way over to claim his prize."
© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report