The six winning numbers on Friday night were: 9, 14, 27, 36, 52, and 4 with a 3x multiplier. Despite the unclaimed jackpot of $187 million ($131.5m cash), lottery officials have confirmed there were multiple pay-outs to ticket holders in New York, Oklahoma, and Arizona.
Three players walked away $1 million richer after matching five balls, but two of those ticket holders had also purchased a multiplier which increased their winnings to $3 million. A total of 17 people won $10,000. One of those had a multiplier that netted them $30,000.
The next draw will take place Tuesday, February 11 at 11 p.m. EST and carries a cash option of approximately $142 million, officials say.
In the nationwide Mega Millions lottery, five white balls are drawn from a set of balls numbered between one to 70, and one gold “Mega Ball” is drawn from a set of balls numbered between one and 25.
The financial prizes are won by matching the balls purchased with a $2 per play entry free, but players can also add a multiplier for an extra $1 that can instantly boost non-jackpot by up to 5 times. If no players claim the grand prize the money is added to the jackpot for the next draw.
Overall chances of winning a prize are one in 24, the Mega Millions website says. The game is open to citizens of 45 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In the January 14 draw, Virginia man Bob Ogrodnik won $1 million after buying three tickets and matching five winning numbers. He said he would split the winnings with his son-in-law. The winning numbers in that draw were 9-11-13-31-47, and the Mega Ball number was 11.
In June last year, California woman Laarni Bibal won a $522 million jackpot prize after buying a Mega Millions ticket at a local deli. She told officials she was planning to pay off debt and buy a house with her prize, which she took as a cash-value option worth about $340 million.
According to the Mega Millions website, there have been 187 jackpots won by 212 single tickets since the game launched in 2002. “The largest Mega Millions jackpot won on a single ticket is a $1.537 billion prize, which is also the world’s largest lottery prize won on a single ticket,” it says.
A total of seven jackpots were won last year. The results can be watched on YouTube and will be posted to the official website shortly after. Players are always urged to gamble responsibly.
