Hunt is on for Ohio’s $142 Million Mega Millions Jackpot Winner
The search has begun for the latest Mega Millions jackpot winner after a player from Ohio won $142 million. The top prize was snapped up in the draw on Friday 4th May, but the lucky player has yet to come forward and make contact with lottery officials.
How the Mega Millions Draw Broke Records
It was a line of low numbers which did the trick for the Ohio player, as 4, 5, 10, 12 and 18 were drawn as the main balls, with Mega Ball 21. The combination of low numbers also resulted in 12 tickets matching five numbers, including six which added the optional Megaplier.
All six of these winners will receive $4 million each after their prize was boosted by a 4x Megaplier, setting a new record for the largest number of multimillion Match 5 tickets ever sold in a single draw.
Go to the Mega Millions Numbers page to see all the payouts from a spectacular evening, as 508,464 players picked up prizes.
Celebrations at Fat Daddy’s RoadDog
It has been announced that the jackpot-winning ticket was sold in Moraine, at Fat Daddy’s RoadDog, 2901 Main Street in Dayton. The convenience store has already received a $100,000 bonus cheque for selling the winning ticket, and word has spread quickly around the town.
“I think it’s pretty awesome,” said store worker Crystal Koverman, who was on shift when the Ohio Lottery called to give the news. Manager Barbie Alderson also revealed that she almost did not believe it when she was told, adding: “My response was: ‘OK, are you sure this is real?’ She said, ‘I got his number, you can call him back’.”
Options for the Winner
The winner now has 180 days to claim the prize, and can decide whether to go public with the news or stay anonymous. Ohio is one of only a few states where winners have the option to keep their identity private, along with Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota and South Carolina.
Another big decision facing the winner is whether they wish to take the full jackpot amount as an annuity, paid in 30 yearly instalments, or a one-one cash sum. The cash option represents the money currently available, and the value of last Friday’s win is around $84 million.
Big Mega Millions Jackpots
The Ohio player is the third winner of a Mega Millions jackpot this year, after 20-year-old Florida resident Shane Missler landed $451 million on Friday 5th January and Robert Wahl from New Jersey won $533 million on Friday 30th March.
The jackpot is already back up to $45 million following a rollover on Tuesday night, and is set to continue rising quickly until the next lucky player matches the full winning line. For your chance to grab a great prize, pick your numbers online or go to an authorised retailer in a participating state.