Mega Millions player wins $4M in North Carolina. Where was the ticket sold?
A Mega Millions player nearly hit the jackpot — but still scored a huge prize in North Carolina.
The player bought a ticket that matched all but one number picked in the Dec. 17 drawing. Since the person spent an extra dollar on the Megaplier option, their $1 million prize rose to $4 million, results show.
The winning numbers: white balls 56-66-67-68-69, with gold Mega Ball 18.
So, where was the lucky ticket sold? The player bought it online in Statesville, a roughly 40-mile drive north from Charlotte, a N.C. Education Lottery spokesperson told McClatchy News in an email.
The winner is set to get richer after their $3 ticket matched all five of the white balls. The person also was one number from scoring the larger jackpot prize, which stood at an estimated $760 million, according to the Mega Millions website.
No one hit the jackpot, making the $4 million prize the largest won in the country the night of the drawing. The Mega Millions jackpot amount now rises to $825 million, the game wrote in a news release.
Lottery officials shared news of the $4 million win early Dec. 18, before the lucky ticket holder could have claimed their prize. In North Carolina, Mega Millions winners have about six months to cash in, according to game rules.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score the jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball. The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 302,575,350.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state. Officials have announced they will cost $5 starting in April.
Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Mega Millions player wins $4M in North Carolina. Where was the ticket sold?."
