Ticket for $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot sold in rural Maine town
A single winning ticket for a Mega Millions lottery jackpot of at least $1.35 billion, the second-largest jackpot in US history, was sold in Maine, lottery organizers said on Saturday.
"Congratulations to the Maine State Lottery, which has just won its first-ever Mega Millions jackpot," Ohio Lottery director Pat McDonald, lead director for the Mega Millions Consortium, said in a statement. "It's the fourth billion-dollar jackpot in Mega Millions history."
The winning ticket, which cost $2 and matched all six numbers, was bought at Hometown Gas & Grill convenience store in Lebanon, Maine. The ticket holder, yet to be identified, has the choice of a lump-sum payment of $723.5 million 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.
The winning numbers for the jackpot were 30, 43, 45, 46 and 61, plus the power ball 14.
Fred Cotreau, the owner of Hometown Gas & Grill, told Reuters when he got the phone call at 6 am he thought it was a scam, but soon realized it wasn't.
"It's been a really busy morning and we are anxiously awaiting to see hopefully it is somebody we know and we see often," Cotreau said.
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.
Cotreau stands to receive a substantial bonus for the ticket.
Reuters
