SACRAMENTO – Get your lucky numbers! What a way to celebrate the weekend if you win a $250 million jackpot! California State Lottery players are lining up with their lucky numbers at more than 18,000 locations around the state and everyone wants to know how to pick a winning combination to bring home the largest jackpot ever available in California State Lottery history!
For most players it’s a toss-up. Roughly half of players like to pick their numbers by using the Quick Pick® feature that allows the terminal to pick a player’s numbers. More interesting methods are used by the other half of players who choose their own winning combinations. Past winners report picking their numbers according to the shape of the Orion Constellation after it was featured on television as a lucky emblem worshipped by ancient Egyptian cultures. Other methods include anniversary dates, birthdates, babies birthdays, pet birthdays, historical dates and even a dollar store number selector. No matter what your lucky method, it costs only a dollar to be a part of the excitement.
The jackpot hit the $250 million mark when no one matched the MEGA Millions numbers 13, 24, 44, 48, 52, MEGA Number 30 on Tuesday night. The $250 million jackpot shatters all records for any jackpot offered in the California State Lottery’s 20 year history and the fourth largest in MEGA Millions history.
No player within the twelve MEGA Millions states selected the winning combination of numbers to win last Tuesday’s top prize. However, thousands of Californians did win prizes: 2 players won more than $830,000 matching 5 numbers without the MEGA Number, and 9 players won more than $100,000 matching 4 numbers plus the MEGA Number. “It’s exciting to offer our players a jackpot of this size”, said Norma Minas, Public Information Officer for the California State Lottery. “Tuesday’s draw resulted in two second prize tickets worth $415,630 each. The tickets were sold in Placerville to winner Timothy Samaniego, a furniture store owner and in Santee to Stephen Peters, a communications technician”.
A lucky player who wins $250 million, would receive equal payments of approximately $9.6 million a year (before taxes) for the next 26 years, or players could opt for the cash option that would result in an estimated prize higher than $150 million before taxes. A retailer who sells a winning ticket worth $250 million would receive a bonus of $1 million (the maximum bonus available) for selling the winning ticket.
To purchase your MEGA Millions ticket for Friday’s draw go to any of the more than 18,000 Lottery retailers in California by 7:45 p.m. Are you having trouble deciding which lotto game to play? Try a “California Combo”, the fun option that gives players 5 MEGA Millions plays and 5 SuperLOTTO Plus® plays!