As the Mega Millions jackpot climbed to $1.35 billion last month, a player in Missouri decided to try his luck for the big prize after not playing Mega Millions for a while.
“When it got up to the $1 billion, I decided I might as well try again,” the winner explained.
He began buying two plays for each drawing, including the Jan. 13 drawing. Almost two weeks after the drawing, the winner decided to start checking some of the tickets.
“I grabbed a pile, and on the second ticket I said, ‘Whoa!’” he recalled.
The ticket had been purchased at Walmart Neighborhood Market, 1700 N.W. State Route 7 in Blue Springs, and had matched all five white-ball numbers drawn on Jan. 13 to win a $1 million prize. The winning numbers were 30, 43, 45, 46 and 61.
“I knew somebody in Missouri had won the $1 million, but I didn’t know it was in Blue Springs,” the winner said. “It’s a little unreal.”
Mega Millions is a multi-state game that is drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Feb. 10 jackpot is an estimated $50 million.
Players in Jackson County won more than $103.1 million in Missouri Lottery prizes in the last fiscal year. The county’s retailers received more than $9.3 million in commissions and bonuses, and educational programs in the county received more than $50.2 million. For a detailed list of programs that benefitted, visit MOLottery.com
