Winning lottery ticket for $1.28 billion Mega Millions jackpot was sold in Illinois

[August 01, 2022]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A single winning ticket for a Mega Millions lottery jackpot of $1.28 billion, the second-largest in U.S. history, was sold in Illinois, lottery organizers said on Saturday.

"Congratulations to the Illinois Lottery for selling the winning ticket for the $1.28 billion Mega Millions jackpot," Ohio Lottery Director Pat McDonald said in a statement.

"We're eager to find out who won and look forward to congratulating the winner soon!"

The statement did not say which Illinois city the ticket was sold in.

The holder of the winning ticket, which would have cost $2 to buy, matched all six numbers in Friday's draw. The winning numbers for the jackpot, which had been rolling since it was last won at $20 million in Tennessee on April 15, were 13, 36, 45, 57 and 67, plus the power ball 14.

It is the second largest jackpot in the 20-year history of the game, topped only by the $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in October 2018.

The latest Mega Millions lottery was held in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A view of the Speedway gas station where the winning ticket for the Mega Millions lottery jackpot was sold, in Des Plaines, Illinois, U.S. July 30, 2022. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski

The winner from Friday's draw, who has yet to be identified, has the choice of a lump-sum payment or an annual payout over 30 years. Most winners go for the lump sum, which comes with a hefty tax bill, according to the Mega Millions website.

Half of the proceeds from the sale of each Mega Millions ticket remains in the state where the ticket was sold, where the money supports lottery beneficiaries, such as education or public employee pensions, and retailer commissions.

"This exciting jackpot run has had a significant positive impact on the revenues for good causes raised by our member lotteries," said Ohio lottery chief McDonald, who is the lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium.

(Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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