Lottery player just misses Mega Millions jackpot, but still wins big Georgia prize
A stop at a gas station proved lucrative for one lucky lottery player in Georgia.
Someone won $50,000 playing Mega Millions after matching four numbers and the Mega Ball in the Jan. 28 drawing, just missing the estimated $44 million jackpot, the Georgia Lottery said.
The winning ticket was sold at a Kroger fuel station in Tucker, according to lottery officials.
The lucky player would’ve won $10,000 but spent an extra dollar on the Megaplier option, quintupling their prize.
The winning numbers Tuesday were 10-19-31-47-56 and gold Mega Ball 6, according to the Mega Millions website. The Megaplier option was 5x.
There were no $1 million winners and no one snagged the game’s grand prize, pushing the jackpot to an estimated $59 million with a cash option of approximately $26.5 million.
Winners have 180 days from the draw date to claim prizes and are encouraged to sign the back of their ticket, the Georgia Lottery said.
The next Mega Millions drawing is Friday, Jan. 31.
Tucker is about a 20-mile drive northeast from downtown Atlanta.
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.