Single winning Powerball lottery ticket sold in Florida

Final jackpot total of $590.5 million is largest prize won by a single ticket

How would you react if you won?

Updated 8:33 am with winning location and other details

A Mega Millions jackpot advertised at $190 million has been won by two tickets, one sold in New Jersey, the other in Virginia.

They matched all the numbers drawn Friday night: 11, 15, 35, 43 and 49, with Mega Ball number 41.  The Megaplier was 4.

Winners usually take the cash payout, which in this case would be $70 million each. Before taxes, of course.

Seventeen tickets missed only the Mega Ball and won second worth $250,000:  1 from Colorado, 1 from Iowa, 1 from Maryland, 3 from Michigan, 3 from New Jersey, 3 from New York, 2 from Pennsylvania, 1 from Texas, 1 from Washington, and 1 from Wisconsin.  The prize jumps to $1 million if the player also bought the Megaplier prize-boosting option.

Closing in on all-time lottery record

By Todd Northrop

Only once before has the United States — or the world — witnessed a lottery-buying frenzy like we are seeing this week.

That was in March, 2012, when the multi-state Mega Millions game was busy setting a record for the largest jackpot in world history.

This time it's Powerball's turn to make people stop what they're doing and line up for lottery tickets.

Facing eviction, an Illinois man found a winning lottery ticket worth $4.85 million in his cookie jar.

Just 12 hours after the initial Powerball jackpot estimate of $475 million was set, lottery officials announced that strong sales have pushed the official estimate for Saturday's drawing to $550 million.

You want to win a half-billion dollar jackpot? For only the third time in history, it is possible -- or will be, by the time Saturday's drawing comes around.

Lottery players across the United States -- including Florida for the first time -- are buying their Mega Millions tickets in preparation for Friday's massive $190 million drawing.

This morning, Florida residents are finally able to purchase tickets for the multi-state Mega Millions game, at a time when the jackpot is approaching $200 million.

According to figures obtained from the Ireland National Lottery, €14.7 million (US$18.9 million) in lottery prize money was left uncollected last year alone.

This week a Virginia man claimed his fourth major Virginia Lottery prize.