Two Mega Millions players just miss $1 billion jackpot — but still win big in Florida
.jpg "Two Mega Millions players missed the jackpot but still won big in Florida.")
Two Mega Millions players narrowly missed the $1 billion jackpot — but still have a lot to celebrate in Florida.
The players each won $1 million after their tickets matched all but one number picked in the March 26 drawing, according to the game’s website.
The winning numbers: white balls 7-11-22-29-38, with gold Mega Ball number 4.
The tickets matched all five white balls to win, including one that was sold at the Publix supermarket on Roosevelt Boulevard in Jacksonville. The other ticket came from the Murphy USA gas station in Crawfordville, a roughly 15-mile drive south from Tallahassee, according to WFLA and the USA Today Network.
The tickets were among 13 nationwide that won $1 million prizes the night of the drawing. But they were one number from hitting the jackpot, which stood at an estimated $1.13 billion when a person in New Jersey matched all six numbers to win.
News outlets didn’t say whether the Sunshine State players claimed their prizes, and the Florida Lottery didn’t immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on March 27. The state gives lucky ticket holders about six months to cash in.
What to know about Mega Millions
To score a jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball.
The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 302,575,350.
Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.
Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This story was originally published March 27, 2024 at 8:15 AM with the headline "Two Mega Millions players just miss $1 billion jackpot — but still win big in Florida."
