Maine got its first Mega Millions jackpot, and someone beat the bad luck on Friday the 13th when a ticket bought in the state matched the winning numbers for the lottery’s estimated $1.35 billion grand prize. The winning ticket was sold at Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine, according to the Maine Lottery. Lebanon borders New Hampshire. “Second biggest in history. It’s huge for Lebanon. It’s awesome,” said owner of Hometown Gas and Grill Fred Gautreau. When Coutreau got the call, he didn’t believe the news. “When I got the phone call from Augusta this morning, I thought it was a scam,” Coutreau said. The lucky combination of numbers drawn late Friday: 30, 43, 45, 46, 61 and the golden Mega Ball 14. The winner, whose name is not yet known, beat steep odds of 1 in 302.6 million, leading to three months. No claim drawings on the jackpot. “Congratulations to the Maine State Lottery on winning the Mega Millions jackpot,” Pat MacDonald, director of the Ohio Lottery and executive director of the Mega Millions Association, said in a statement early Saturday morning. The jackpot is the second largest in Mega Millions history and the fourth time the game has hit a billion dollar jackpot. In October 2018, the largest Mega Millions jackpot in South Carolina was claimed by a single ticket holder of $1.53 billion. Friday’s prosperous drawing marked the seventh time the jackpot has been won on Friday the 13th, a date considered unlucky. To claim the full $1.35 billion, the winner would have to collect the money with annual payments over 29 years. Most jackpot recipients prefer the reduced but quick cash option, which is estimated at $724.6 million for Friday night’s drawing. The next big prize drawing on Tuesday will drop an estimated $20 million and a $10.7 million cash option. As of Friday night, there had been 25 straight drawings without a jackpot winner. There were more than 7 million winning tickets in nine prize pools on Friday. Beyond Maine’s jackpot, 14 tickets matched five white balls to win the second-place prize of $1 million. Four were sold in New York, two in California and one each in Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas, according to MegaMillions. Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands. The Associated Press contributed to this story
Maine got its first Mega Millions jackpot, and someone had a bad luck win when a ticket bought in that state matched the winning numbers for the lottery’s estimated $1.35 billion grand prize on Friday the 13th.
According to the Maine Lottery, the winning ticket was sold at Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon. Lebanon borders New Hampshire.
“Second biggest in history. It’s huge for Lebanon. It’s awesome,” said owner of Hometown Gas and Grill Fred Gautreau.
When Coutreau got the call, he didn’t believe the news.
“When I got the phone call from Augusta this morning, I thought it was a scam,” Coutreau said.
Lucky numbers drawn on Friday night: 30, 43, 45, 46, 61 and Golden Mega Ball 14.
The winner, whose name has not yet been released, beat steep odds of 1 in 302.6 million, leading to three months of drawing without claiming the jackpot.
“Congratulations to the Maine State Lottery on winning the Mega Millions jackpot,” Pat MacDonald, director of the Ohio Lottery and executive director of the Mega Millions Association, said in a statement early Saturday morning.
The jackpot is the second largest in Mega Millions history and the fourth time the game has hit a billion dollar jackpot. In October 2018, the largest Mega Millions jackpot in South Carolina was claimed by a single ticket holder of $1.53 billion.
Friday’s prosperous drawing marked the seventh time the jackpot has been won on Friday the 13th, a date considered unlucky.
To claim the full $1.35 billion, the winner would have to collect the money with annual payments over 29 years. Most jackpot recipients prefer the reduced but quick cash option, which is estimated at $724.6 million for Friday night’s drawing.
The next big prize drawing on Tuesday will drop an estimated $20 million and a $10.7 million cash option.
As of Friday night, there had been 25 straight drawings without a jackpot winner.
There were more than 7 million winning tickets in nine prize pools on Friday. Beyond Maine’s jackpot, 14 tickets matched five white balls to win the second-place prize of $1 million. Four were sold in New York, two in California and one each in Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas, according to MegaMillions.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states as well as Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands.
The Associated Press contributed to this story