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发帖数: 9825 | 1 http://finance.yahoo.com/news/official-winning-lottery-ticket-s
051141399.html
CHICAGO (AP) -- Maryland lottery officials announced early Saturday that
their state sold what could become the world's largest lottery payout of
all
-time, but it wasn't immediately clear if that ticket holder would get
sole
possession of the $640 million jackpot or have to split it with other
winners.
Carole Everett, director of communications for the Maryland Lottery,
said
the winning Mega Millions ticket was purchased at a retailer in
Baltimore
County. She said it's too early to know any other information about the
lucky ticket holder or whether others were sold elsewhere in the nation.
The winning numbers were 02-04-23-38-46, and the Mega Ball 23.
National lottery officials were expecting to list early Saturday on
their
website how many winning tickets were sold and from what states, but
Maryland sent out its news release and called media organizations hours
before the scheduled announcement. The headline of its news release said
the
winning sale was "one of several nationwide," but Everett told The
Associated Press she couldn't immediately confirm any others.
Everett said the last time a ticket from the state won a major national
jackpot was 2008 when a ticket sold for $24 million.
"We're thrilled," she said. "We're due and excited."
The estimated jackpot dwarfs the previous $390 million record, which was
split in 2007 by two winners who bought tickets in Georgia and New
Jersey.
Americans spent nearly $1.5 billion for a chance to hit the jackpot,
which
amounts to a $462 million lump sum and around $347 million after federal
tax
withholding. With the jackpot odds at 1 in 176 million, it would cost
$176
million to buy up every combination. Under that scenario, the strategy
would
win $171 million less if your state also withholds taxes.
From coast to coast, people stood in line at retail stores Friday for
one
last chance at striking it rich.
Maribeth Ptak, 31, of Milwaukee, only buys Mega Millions when the
jackpot is
really big and she bought one on Friday at a Milwaukee grocery store.
She
said she'd use the money to pay off bills, including school loans, and
then
she'd donate a good portion to charity.
"I know the odds are really not in my favor, but why not," she said.
Sawnya Castro, 31, of Dallas, bought $50 worth of tickets at a 7-Eleven.
She
figured she'd use the money to create a rescue society for Great Danes,
fix
up her grandmother's house, and perhaps even buy a bigger one for
herself.
"Not too big — I don't want that. Too much house to keep with," she
said.
Willie Richards, who works for the U.S. Marshals Service at a federal
courthouse in Atlanta, figured if there ever was a time to confront
astronomical odds, it was when $640 million was at stake. He bought five
tickets.
"When it gets as big as it is now, you'd be nuts not to play," he said.
"You
have to take a chance on Lady Luck." |
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