2 Winners In $636M Mega Millions Drawing
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The two winning Mega Millions tickets were sold in California and Georgia, lottery officials said Wednesday.
The winning numbers were: 8, 14, 17, 20, 39; Mega Ball: 7. The $636 million jackpot was the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.
While no jackpot winning tickets were sold in Michigan, one $1 million winner was sold. Lottery officials say the lucky ticket was purchased at Martin's Super Market on 11th Street in Niles.
One jackpot ticket was sold in San Jose, Calif. The other was sold in Atlanta, Georgia, according to Mega Millions' lead director Paula Otto. The winners can choose to be paid over time or in a cash lump sum, Otto said. Based on the $636 million figure, the winners would receive $318 million each over time or $170 million each in cash.
Otto said in all, $336 million in tickets were sold for Tuesday's drawing — well over their estimate of $319 million.
"Sales were a little better than we'd anticipated," Otto said. "It was a fun run, it was our first holiday run for either of the big jackpot games."
She said because of the higher sales, the jackpot may be more around $645 million. The final jackpot will be available by midday Wednesday, she said.
The jackpot started its ascent on Oct. 4. Twenty-two draws came and went without a winner, Otto said. She also said a billion worth of tickets were sold during the run, earning the places that offer Mega Millions — 43 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands — a total of $300 million.
This comes after the Mega Millions Friday the 13th drawing created two new millionaires in Michigan.
Deanna Wilson, of Eastpointe, claimed her $1,000,000 Mega Millions prize at the Lottery Headquarters on Wednesday. Wilson said she plans to use her winnings to buy a house, car, and a vacation. She said she also plans to pay the remaining mortgage on her parents' house.
John Morris, of Waterford, also claimed his lucky Friday the 13th Mega Millions $1,000,000 prize today at Lottery Headquarters enjoys hunting and shooting and plans to buy outdoor equipment with his winnings.
Wilson's winning ticket was purchased at Eastside Petro & M/Mart located at 26220 Harper Ave in St. Clair Shores. Morris purchased his winning ticket at Grapes & Hops Market Inc. located at 4177 Cass Elizabeth Rd. in Waterford.
The jackpot now resets to $15 million for the next drawing, which is on Friday night.
Mega Millions changed its rules in October to help increase the jackpots by lowering the odds of winning the top prize. That means the chances of winning the jackpot are now about 1 in 259 million. It used to be about 1 in 176 million, nearly the same odds of winning a Powerball jackpot. But that hasn't stopped aspiring multimillionaires from playing the game.
The Mega Millions revamp comes about two years after Powerball changed some of its game rules and increased the price of a ticket to $2 and added $1 million and $2 million secondary prizes. Mega Millions remains $1, and an extra $1 option has been expanded to allow up to $5 million as a secondary prize.
The changes in both games were aimed at creating bigger and faster growing jackpots. So far, it looks like it's working.
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