Mega Millions: Winning ticket for $361M bought in Texas

While the $1.4 billion Powerball jackpot has been attracting the attention of lottery players, a Mega Millions ticket in Texas was worth a tidy sum.

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According to a news release from the Texas Lottery, the Mega Millions jackpot of $361 million was won after Friday’s drawing. It was the largest Mega Millions jackpot won in Texas and the first in the state since Sept. 24, 2019, lottery officials said.

The winning ticket was bought at Stripes No. 5031 in San Angelo, located in west-central Texas, lottery officials said.

The winning numbers were 12, 24, 46, 57 and 66, plus the gold Mega Ball 22, and the multiplier was 3X, according to the Mega Millions website.

The owner of the ticket played a Quick Pick and opted for the cash value option at the time of purchase, Texas Lottery officials said in the news release. That means the winning ticket will be worth $156.9 million before taxes.

The winner has yet to claim the prize but has 180 days to do so. The store will receive a $1 million retailer for selling the winning ticket.

The jackpot had been rolling since a $39 million prize was won on Aug. 15 in Florida, according to the Mega Millions website.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have a big Mega Millions jackpot winner right here in Texas and we’re eagerly looking forward to meeting and congratulating the Lone Star State’s largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot winner,” Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery, said in a statement. “If you have the winning ticket, we encourage you to sign the ticket, put it in a safe place, seek financial and legal advice, and call the Texas Lottery before coming to Austin to claim the prize.”

In 2019, a Leander resident won an estimated $227 million jackpot, lottery officials said. Friday’s winner is the 14th Mega Millions won in the state since Texas joined the promotion in 2003.

Friday was also the first time since 2014 that at least nine Mega Millions jackpots have been won in a calendar year.