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Two winners for $636m US jackpot
WASHINGTON - Two winning tickets have been sold for the US$636 million Mega Millions lottery in the United States - the country's second largest jackpot in history.
The life-changing stubs were sold in San Jose, California, at a gift shop and at a newsstand in Atlanta, Georgia, CBS News reported, quoting lottery officials after the Tuesday night draw.
California Lottery spokesman Alex Traverso said there was a huge level of excitement all across California. "At one point, we were selling about 25,000 tickets a minute."
The jackpot will be split.
The names of the winners were not immediately announced. Winners in this sweepstake can opt for either a one-time lump sum payment, or one smaller payment followed by others over the course of 29 years.
Had there been a single winner in Tuesday's draw, the one-time cash option was estimated at US$341 million - before taxes.
The jackpot reached its dizzying sum after frantic Americans in 43 participating states, Washington DC, and the US Virgin Islands spent days snapping up US$1 tickets. Tuesday's combination of six winning numbers was: 8, 14, 17, 20, 39 and 7, the latter being known as the Mega Ball.
Mega Millions lead director Paula Otto said early yesterday that US$336 million in tickets were sold for Tuesday's draw - they had projected $319 million.
"Sales were a little better than we'd anticipated," Ms Otto said. She said that because of the higher sales, the jackpot may be more around US$645 million.
The jackpot started its ascent on Oct 4. Twenty-two draws came and went without a winner, Ms Otto said. She also said US$1 billion worth of tickets were sold during the run.
The record jackpot was US$656 million in March last year. It was split among ticket holders in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.
But this draw was the first since a rule change in October designed to make it harder to win and thus fatten the jackpot.
Previously, players picked five numbers from one to 56, plus a number from one to 46. Under the new rules, players pick five numbers from one to 75, plus a number from one to 15 - shifting the odds of winning from one in 176 million to one in 259 million.
By comparison, the odds of being struck by lightning in the US are one in 10,000, according to the National Weather Service.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE.
ASSOCIATED PRESS.
WASHINGTON - Two winning tickets have been sold for the US$636 million Mega Millions lottery in the United States - the country's second largest jackpot in history.
The life-changing stubs were sold in San Jose, California, at a gift shop and at a newsstand in Atlanta, Georgia, CBS News reported, quoting lottery officials after the Tuesday night draw.
California Lottery spokesman Alex Traverso said there was a huge level of excitement all across California. "At one point, we were selling about 25,000 tickets a minute."
The jackpot will be split.
The names of the winners were not immediately announced. Winners in this sweepstake can opt for either a one-time lump sum payment, or one smaller payment followed by others over the course of 29 years.
Had there been a single winner in Tuesday's draw, the one-time cash option was estimated at US$341 million - before taxes.
The jackpot reached its dizzying sum after frantic Americans in 43 participating states, Washington DC, and the US Virgin Islands spent days snapping up US$1 tickets. Tuesday's combination of six winning numbers was: 8, 14, 17, 20, 39 and 7, the latter being known as the Mega Ball.
Mega Millions lead director Paula Otto said early yesterday that US$336 million in tickets were sold for Tuesday's draw - they had projected $319 million.
"Sales were a little better than we'd anticipated," Ms Otto said. She said that because of the higher sales, the jackpot may be more around US$645 million.
The jackpot started its ascent on Oct 4. Twenty-two draws came and went without a winner, Ms Otto said. She also said US$1 billion worth of tickets were sold during the run.
The record jackpot was US$656 million in March last year. It was split among ticket holders in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.
But this draw was the first since a rule change in October designed to make it harder to win and thus fatten the jackpot.
Previously, players picked five numbers from one to 56, plus a number from one to 46. Under the new rules, players pick five numbers from one to 75, plus a number from one to 15 - shifting the odds of winning from one in 176 million to one in 259 million.
By comparison, the odds of being struck by lightning in the US are one in 10,000, according to the National Weather Service.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE.
ASSOCIATED PRESS.
