National

Mega Millions player wins $3 million prize. Where in US was the lucky ticket sold?

Nobody won the Mega Millions grand prize, which rises to an estimated $514 million, with a cash option of approximately $241 million.
Nobody won the Mega Millions grand prize, which rises to an estimated $514 million, with a cash option of approximately $241 million. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A Mega Millions ticket sold in Louisiana won $3 million and narrowly missed the $489 million jackpot, lottery officials say.

The ticket matched five winning numbers and the Megaplier, but not the Mega Ball, in the drawing Tuesday, Nov. 26, the national Mega Millions site said.

Nobody won the grand prize, which rises to an estimated $514 million, with a cash option of approximately $241 million, for the next drawing Friday, Nov. 29, the site said.

The winning numbers were 5, 22, 24, 39 and 42, with a Mega Ball of 3, the lottery said. The Megaplier was 3.

The winning Louisiana ticket was sold at a One Stop Convenience store in Baldwin, which is about a 115-mile drive west from New Orleans, the Louisiana Lottery said.

Two tickets sold in California, which adjusts lottery prizes based on the number of tickets sold and number of winners, also matched five winning numbers to win $650,000 each.

More than 890,000 other tickets sold in the United States won prizes ranging from $2 to $30,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.

The Mega Millions jackpot has gone unclaimed since Sept. 10, when a Texas player hit the $810 million grand prize, lottery officials said.

What to know about Mega Millions

To score the 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. Officials have announced they will cost $5 starting in April.

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.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

Read Next
Read Next
Read Next
DS
Don Sweeney
The Sacramento Bee
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER