1 ticket wins Mega Millions; Powerball zooms

By Peter Mucha, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: September 21, 2012

The New Yorker who hit Tuesday's Mega Millions jackpot is bound to be ecstatic.

Just one ticket, bought at Ky's Coffee Shop in Midtown Manhattan, matched all the numbers: 5, 9, 22, 36 and 49, with a Mega Ball of 36.

But wouldn't it be only human to also think, "Dang, why couldn't I hit when the jackpot was GIGANTIC?"

It was worth $15 million, the game's lowest in nearly 2-1/2 years.

In late March, the jackpot was more than a half-billion dollars richer, setting a new U.S. record with a top annuity prize of $656 million. It was split by three tickets, sold in Maryland, Illinois and Kansas.

Last month, Donald Lawson of Lapeer, Mich., hit a Powerball jackpot worth $337 million for the annuity. He collected a record amount of cash for any single winner: $224,655,690.17.

Mega Million's minimum jackpot is $12 million, last hit in late May 2010 by a North Carolina man.

These days, Powerball starts out at $40 million, and Friday's top prize will be worth a whopping $174 million for the annuity, $110 million for the cash.

That's because no one hit all the numbers drawn last night: 1, 5, 8, 39 and 50, with a Powerball of 23.

Mega Millions' next drawing is Saturday night, with that minimum jackpot of $12 million.

Mega Millions and Powerball are both played in more than 40 states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

For more on lotteries, go to www.philly.com/philly/news/lottery, www.powerball.com or www.megamillions.com.

Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.

Index by Keyword
|
Index by Date
|
About Philly.com
|
Contact Us
|
Terms of Use & Privacy Statement
|
Copyright 2013