(RNN) - With Mega Millions officials expecting 75 percent of combinations to be sold for Tuesday night’s billion dollar drawing, it’s little surprise that at least one winner has been announced.
A single ticket holder in South Carolina won the largest lottery jackpot ever offered worldwide, according to a Mega Millions press release early Wednesday.
The winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65 and 70 with a Mega Ball of 5.
BREAKING: One ticket in South Carolina has won the #MegaMillions jackpot of $1.6 billion. https://t.co/OVMqSMKTiO pic.twitter.com/kttsSxDBv6
— Mega Millions (@MegaMillionsUS) October 24, 2018
But even if you didn’t win the jackpot, you should still check your ticket. Mega Millions reports 36 second prize tickets were sold, which matched every ball except the Mega Ball.
These lucky winners hail from states all over the country, including eight in California; four each in Florida and New York; two each in Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey and Virginia; and one each in Arizona, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin.
The second prize is typically $1 million, but the Texas winner and one of the Florida winners took advantage of the optional Multiplier, making those two tickets worth $3 million each.
In addition, 419 tickets won the third prize of $10,000 - with 51 of those tickets worth $30,000 due to the Multiplier.
The Mega Millions jackpot will reset to its starting value of $40 million for Friday night’s drawing.
The lucky jackpot winner will have to decide if they want the money up front or over the span of 30 years. Taking the cash option will get them $913 million, before taxes, of course.
The annuity option would award a smaller payment up front, followed by 29 annual payments, each five percent larger than the last.
The previous worldwide lottery record was a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot offered in January 2016, according to the press release.
If the odds weren’t in your favor Tuesday night, you can try your luck with that lottery and its $620 million drawing Wednesday night at 11 ET.
Copyright 2018 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
