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(Reuters) – A single ticket matched the six numbers of the US Mega Millions lottery for a jackpot of nearly a world record of $ 1.6 billion, a manager said Wednesday.
The ticket, sold in South Carolina, corresponded to five numbers 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5 that were drawn Tuesday night, said a spokeswoman for Mega Millions.
The ticket buyer has beaten the odds of 1 in 303 million to win the Mega Millions draw for one of the biggest jackpots in US history.
Still, the outrageous jackpot of $ 1.537 billion has not broken the record of winnings in the lottery, held by the $ 1.586 billion Powerball prize shared by the winners in January 2016.
Before the draw, lottery officials had announced a record $ 1.6 billion jackpot, according to estimates based on historical trends, said Wednesday the lottery spokeswoman Carole Bober Gentry. After the draw, lottery officials reduced the jackpot total to $ 1.537 billion, based on actual ticket sales.
"There are few precedents for a jackpot of this size. Typically, approximately 70% of sales take place on the day of the draw. So it can be difficult to predict accurate numbers in advance, "Gentry said in a statement.
An immediate cash payment of $ 877.8 million, or the price of $ 1.537 billion over 29 years, is an option for those who win.
Mega Millions tickets are sold in 44 US states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Several states allow online ticket purchases, but prohibit purchases outside the states and abroad.
States receive a percentage of lottery ticket sales, and then use the money to fund public schools or to meet other needs.
Wednesday's Powerball Lottery Prize raises to $ 620 million, making it the fifth-largest jackpot in US history, after no one had the six draw numbers in the draw Saturday. The cash payment is estimated at $ 354.3 million.
Brendan O'Brien's report to Milwaukee; Additional reports by Barbara Goldberg and Peter Szekely in New York; Edited by Lisa Shumaker and Bernadette Baum
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