The winning Mega Millions ticket is now worth $1.337 billion as a result of a surge of ticket sales in the final hours before the Friday night drawing where one person who purchased their ticket in Des Plaines matched all the numbers correctly.
Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays says the lottery prize is the biggest ever won in Illinois and the second largest Mega Millions prize ever won.
Mays says the winning ticket was sold at the Speedway in Des Plaines. The retailer that sold the winning ticket will receive a half-million dollars.
Mays says as of Saturday morning they had not heard from the winner yet. He says they don’t know whether or not they’re aware they’ve won this incredible prize. So they are telling all of our players – check your tickets.
The Mega Millions jackpot has been rolling since April 16, 2022, culminating in Friday night’s historic win in Illinois. The $1.28 billion prize is for winners who choose the annuity option, paid annually over 29 years. Most winners opt for the cash option, which for Friday night’s drawing was an estimated $747.2 million.
Excluding the jackpot, in total, over 390,000 Illinois Lottery players won prizes totaling more than $2.5 million
