Winning $1.6 billion Mega Millions ticket sold in South Carolina

A
man buys tickets for Tuesday’s Mega Millions lottery drawing
after the jackpot exceeded $1.6 billion in New York
City.
Thomson
Reuters

• A ticket sold in South Carolina matched all six numbers
  in the record-setting $1.6 billion Mega Millions
  lottery.
• It is not yet clear if any other winning tickets have
  been sold.
• The odds of winning the record-breaking $1.6 billion
  jackpot were tiny: one in 302.5 million or
  0.00000033%.

(Reuters) – One ticket sold in South Carolina matched all six
numbers in the Mega Millions lottery draw on Tuesday for a
record-setting $1.6 billion jackpot, the state’s lottery said on
its website early on Wednesday.

The ticket matched the five numbers 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and the
Mega Ball 5 that were drawn on Tuesday night. Anyone who hit all
six numbers to win the jackpot can choose an immediate cash
payment of $904 million or receive the $1.6 billion prize over 29
years.

It was unclear early on Wednesday if other winning tickets were
sold elsewhere.

The odds of winning the record-breaking $1.6 billion jackpot were
one in 302.5 million or 0.00000033%. Five numbers between 1 to 70
were selected, in addition to one number between 1 to 25.

If just one person wins, they would have
the option
to cash out over $904 million, or choose to be paid annually
for 30 years (which increases by 5% each year).

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien)