Mega Choice for Mega Millions Winner

Five winning tickets sold in California

And the winner is ... still unknown. However, five winners were sold in California but the five fell short of the Mega number and the mega cash!

The one ticket with all six numbers in the multi-state Mega Millions draw was sold in New York, officials announced Saturday, and now its owner has the decision of all decisions: receive the full jackpot of $312 million in 26 annual payments of about $12 million or a one-time cash option of about $198.2 million.

Tough choice.

The estimated jackpot was the sixth largest in the history of the game that began on Aug. 31, 1996.

Thirty-two tickets -- including five sold in California -- had five numbers, but didn't have the Mega number. The five sold in California are each worth $287,323 while the other 27 are each worth $250,000, California Lottery officials announced. California law requires most major payoffs of lottery games to be paid on a pari-mutuel basis.

The numbers drawn Friday were 22, 24, 31, 52, 54 and the Mega number was 4.

The drawing was the 15th since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold.

The odds of matching all five numbers and the Mega number is 1 in 175,711,536, according to the Mega Millions website.

The jackpot for Tuesday's draw will be $12 million.

The Mega Millions game is played in 41 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
 

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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