Mega Millions player misses $257M jackpot — but still wins big prize in Mississippi
A Mega Millions player narrowly missed a massive jackpot prize — but still scored a life-changing win in Mississippi.
The person is set to get richer after buying a ticket that matched all but one number picked in the April 30 drawing, making it worth $1 million, according to the Mega Millions website.
The winning numbers: white balls 10-18-27-37-61, with gold Mega Ball 5.
So, where did the winner buy the lucky ticket? It was sold at the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D’Iberville, near the coastal city of Biloxi, the Mississippi Lottery wrote in a news release.
The person’s ticket matched all five white balls in the drawing, joining players in California and New York who won $1 million. But those lottery players fell just short of the larger jackpot prize, which stood at an estimated $257 million.
As of about 9:20 a.m. May 1, no one had come forward to claim the Mississippi prize, state lottery spokesperson Meg Annison told McClatchy News in a phone interview. The state gives lucky ticket holders about six months to cash in.
“In the meantime, the winner is advised to sign the back of their ticket and keep it in a secure location,” lottery officials wrote. “The lottery also recommends the winner consult with legal and financial advisors.”
What to know about Mega Millions
To score a 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.
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 May 1, 2024 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Mega Millions player misses $257M jackpot — but still wins big prize in Mississippi."
