Mega Millions player just misses $421M jackpot — but still wins big in Louisiana
.jpg "A Mega Millions player is set to get richer after scoring a huge lottery win.")
A Mega Millions player just missed a $421 million jackpot — but still won a prize worth celebrating in Louisiana.
The person bought a ticket that matched all but one number picked in the May 21 drawing. Since the player spent an extra dollar on the Megaplier option, their $1 million prize doubled to $2 million, the Mega Millions website shows.
The winning numbers: white balls 2-5-8-28-69, with gold Mega Ball 14.
The lucky player’s ticket matched all five white balls to win big. The ticket was sold at the Chef Chevron gas station in New Orleans, according to the Louisiana Lottery website.
The winner was one number from the jackpot prize, which stood at an estimated $421 million. But no one hit the jackpot, making the $2 million prize and a $1 million California prize the largest wins in the country the night of the drawing, results show.
The next Mega Millions drawing is May 24 with an estimated jackpot of $453 million.
Louisiana gives drawing game players about six months to cash in on their prizes.
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 May 22, 2024 at 8:10 AM.
