AUSTIN – A jackpot-winning ticket worth an estimated annuitized $360 million for the Mega Millions® drawing held on Oct. 6 was purchased in San Angelo, marking the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won by a Texas Lottery® player. The jackpot-winning Quick Pick ticket was sold at Stripes No. 5031, located at 5665 Sherwood Way, and matched all six of the numbers drawn (12-24-46-57-66, Mega Ball 22). The player chose the cash value option at the time of purchase, which was estimated at $156.9 million before taxes prior to the drawing. The winner has 180 days from the draw date to claim the prize. The retailer is eligible to receive a $1 million retailer bonus for selling this jackpot-winning ticket.
“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,” said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery. “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.”
This is the 14th Mega Millions jackpot winner in Texas and the first since Sept. 24, 2019 when a Leander resident won an advertised $227 million prize. Texas joined the multijurisdictional game in 2003 and had its first Mega Millions jackpot winner in 2004 when UT Van Nguyen of Carrollton claimed the $106 million jackpot from the Oct. 1, 2004 drawing.
In addition to the Oct. 6 jackpot-winning prize, 74,167 Mega Millions tickets in Texas, including those with the Megaplier® add-on feature, won lower-tier prizes ranging from $2 to $10,000.
The winning Mega Millions jackpot started as a $20 million prize on Aug. 18 and rolled 14 times before being hit. The jackpot for the next Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday, Oct. 10 will reset to $20 million.
Mega Millions is played by choosing five numbers from a field of 70 and one Mega Ball number from the second field of 25 numbers. To win the Mega Millions jackpot, players must match all six numbers drawn including the Mega Ball. Players matching fewer numbers may not win the jackpot, but still walk away winners. Mega Millions currently offers a $20 million starting jackpot and a second-tier (Match 5+0) prize of $1 million. By choosing the Megaplier for $1 more per Play, players can multiply their non-jackpot winnings by two, three, four or five times, winning as much as $5 million. Drawings are broadcast each Tuesday and Friday at 10:12 p.m. CT.
