Single Ticket In South Carolina Wins $1.6 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot
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By: Faith Karimi, CNN
(CNN) -- The Mega Millions winning numbers are out and a single lucky ticket holder in South Carolina can claim the largest jackpot ever offered -- an estimated $1.537 billion with a one-time cash option of $913 million.
The magic numbers drawn Tuesday night were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70, and the Mega Ball was 5.
Mega Millions announced the win in a statement early Wednesday.
"The moment we've been waiting for finally arrived, and we couldn't be more excited," said Gordon Medenica, lead director of the Mega Millions Group and Director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming. "This is truly a historic occasion. We're so happy for the winner, and we know the South Carolina Education Lottery can't wait to meet the lucky ticket holder."
The jackpot was initially estimated to be $1.6 billion. However, Mega Millions officials said the official jackpot was $1.537 billion, which comes up just shy of a world record.
In addition to the big jackpot, 36 other tickets matched all five white balls, which is worth $1 million apiece. One of those tickets was sold in Pennsylvania.
Mega Millions beats its own jackpot record
The next jackpot winner could come from anywhere. Mega Millions is played in 44 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the US Virgin Islands. A ticket costs $2 -- but the odds of winning are about 1 in 302 million.
Mega Millions has already smashed its own jackpot record. That was $656 million shared by winners in three states in March 2012.
No one had won the Mega Millions jackpot since July 24 when 11 co-workers in California split $543 million.
But wait ... there's the Powerball
Mega Millions aside, the Powerball drawing is Wednesday, and the jackpot for that is an estimated $620 million. Not too shabby, either.
The Powerball has climbed since the last winner in New York in August, and has had 20 drawings since then without a jackpot winner. Wednesday's will be the third-largest Powerball jackpot.
Before this week's Mega Millions, the US lottery jackpot record was $1.586 billion, split among three winning Powerball tickets in January 2016.
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