Mega Millions $521m Has Been Won
The massive Mega Millions jackpot of $521 million has won, the ticket being sold in New Jersey.
Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing netted $521 million for a single ticket sold in New Jersey, the game’s multistate agency said. The New Jersey Lottery tweeted that the winning ticket was purchased at a Lukoil store in Riverdale, about 30 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan. See the tweet below…
Mega Millions’ 4th Largest Jackpot In History
It’s the fourth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever and comes six years to the day of the biggest jackpot in game history, a monster $656 million pot split three ways.
The winning numbers in Friday’s drawing were 11, 28, 31, 46 and 59, plus Mega Ball 1.
Apparently, large jackpots and fewer winners are not random but a strategy by Multi-State Lottery Association. This is a plan conducted in order to draw more attention to big winners.
Mega Millions used to work differently: Players picked five numbers from 1 to 75 and a Mega Ball of 1 to 15. The odds of winning the top prize were 1 in 258,890,850.
However, Mega Millions changed the rules in October. Now players pick numbers from 1 to 70 and a Mega Ball of 1 to 25. The odds of winning the jackpot are now 1 in 302,575,350.
Reducing the number of balls for the first five numbers increases the chances of winning a smaller prize. However, raising the number of Mega Balls makes it harder to win the jackpot, and in turn, it grows and grows, collecting jackpot chasers who emerge when the payout balloons.
Furthermore, New Jersey is like most states with laws restricting winner anonymity. Consequently, the state commission says anyone can get the details about winners after making a formal request. Only one person has set up an LLC before claiming a prize, the state lottery told NJ.com.
