Unusual California payouts will award more to 3rd place winner than to 2nd place
Outside Party World in suburban Grand Rapids, a sign went up Saturday proclaiming that the store sold a ticket worth $56 million in the latest Mega Millions drawing.
Manager Dave Castor said he's especially pleased that the jackpot-winning ticket was sold in economically struggling Michigan, whose jobless rate is among the nation's highest.
"We just can't wait to find out who is the winner," Castor said. "We're happy for anyone in this economy in Michigan to win."
Mega Millions is a multi-state lottery game offered in a dozen states.
Lottery officials said the single grand prize-winning ticket from Friday night's drawing was sold at the store in Comstock Park. The lottery said the winner had not come forward as of Saturday.
"We need the winner to call us," Michigan lottery spokeswoman Andi Brancato said.
At Party World, Castor said he expected the win to help business. He said the store already had more traffic than on a usual Saturday, and the word-of-mouth publicity from a big winner is bound to help.
"It's exciting," he said. "Very exciting."
In addition to the grand prize winner, a total of seven players matched all five numbers but not the Mega Ball number. Two of the winners — from New York and Texas — will receive second prizes of $250,000 each.
Unusual California payouts
The other five second-prize winners were sold in California, which is the only Mega Millions state to offer pari-mutuel prizes at each of the eight non-jackpot prize levels. (Pari-mutuel means that the available prize funds for each level are based on actual sales, and are split evenly by the number of winning tickets at each level.)
Each second-place California winning ticket will receive $33,757, because the total prize pool for the second-place level in this drawing was $168,785. This is the lowest individual prize amount ever awarded for a winning second-place Mega Millions lottery ticket.
The next-lowest individual second-prize winning ticket was awarded in the October 23, 2007 drawing, when four players split a $148,224 second-place prize pool for a payout of $37,056 each.
Ironically, because only one player from California holds a winning third-prize ticket, their prize will be larger than each of the second-place winners' prizes.
The single third-place winner from California will collect a $46,033 prize, which is more than four times the size of the third-place prize in each of the other Mega Millions states, and $12,276 more than what each of the second-place California winners will receive in this drawing.
24 players in the eleven other Mega Millions states hold a winning third-place ticket. Each of those tickets is worth $10,000.
The winning numbers from Friday night's drawing were: 8, 9, 14, 38 and 44. The Mega Ball number was 36.
The Texas Megaplier was 4.
"The lottery said the winner had not come forward as of saturday"
Well,DUH!The lottery office probably wasn't even open on saturday.This reminds of everytime someone hits a major jackpot on MM or PB some idiot reporter will come on tv on Monday morning at 6 o'clock and say that nobody showed up yet at the (pick any state) lottery office.Why in the world would anyone show up at 6 a.m. when no state office opens before 9 a.m.?
Although I agree with you, sometimes there are people who broadcast it immediately like that man who paraded through town waving the winning ticket. Perhaps the Lottery was simply indicating that often a winner gets his/her ticket validated immediately at a retailer (which has happened many times.) Personally, I would try my best to keep it quiet until I make plans & move, but not everyone feels the same way.
Each second-place California winning ticket will receive $33,757, because the total prize pool for the second-place level in this drawing was $168,785.
Even if California had only one second-place winner, that $168,785 would be a lot less than the $250,000 the second place winners in the other states. I remember reading some years ago about a Californian lottery that had almost a hundred winners and their part of the pot was almost or less than the lower tier winners. In California, lottery winners don't want to celebrate before they see the money.
why in the world you would you ever go back to the retailer you bought it from? I would be terrified they would make a huge commotion when they found out I had the winning ticket and someone would try to steal it or mug me or something. I probably would never even go back into the store I bought it from, ever! Did anybody see that video of the girl that won some $$ (like 50 bucks i think) and she started yelling and jumping around and somebody snatched it out of her hand and ran--she never got it back. it's lunacy to do that!
Why do we even have pari-mutuel here? I really should look that up, I complain about it often enough.
Sometimes, pari-mutuel is advantageous. Like the ticket that won $697,476 in Feb. for 5 out of 6 on Mega Millions. Most of the time, though, it's only a little better than what those poor saps got stuck with. Don't get me wrong, I think they were lucky to win $33,757, but, come on, that ain't no $250,000.
The last MM jackpot was won at $17M. This month, $56M. Is that what the jackpots are going to be like this year? Boring.
Ohio offers its own game 6/49 Classic Lotto and now that MegaMillions is starting over at $12M, CL jackpot of $20.8M is looking good again. A $56M jackpot is nice if you're the one that won it, heck even the $20.8M jackpot would look good to me if I won it.
"The last MM jackpot was won at $17M. This month, $56M. Is that what the jackpots are going to be like this year? Boring."
$17,000,000 boring?$56,000,000 boring?Who the hell are you?Bill Gates?
$17,000,000 boring?$56,000,000 boring?Who the hell are you?Bill Gates?
::rolls eyes::
Come on, don't be naive. You had to know I meant compared to the usual big jackpots (e.g. $100M+).
Ohio offers its own game 6/49 Classic Lotto and now that MegaMillionsis starting over at $12M, CL jackpot of $20.8M is looking good again. A $56M jackpot is nice if you're the one that won it, heck even the$20.8M jackpot would look good to me if I won it.
I meant compared to the usual MM big jackpots. I was wondering if there would be any more BIG jackpots this year. BIG as in $100M+.
Here in California, for SuperLotto a $20M+ jackpot is great. For MM it isn't.
Lord, I should just go back to lurking.
Actually,I'm one of those people that reads what is written on the page...not what is written between the lines.If someone writes that he thinks a $17,000,000 jackpot is boring,I believe that he thinks a $17,000,000 jackpot is boring.I don't know why I'm that way,but I am.
Ah, so you're a literal person. Did not realize that. So you're really, truly wondering if I'm THE Bill Gates?
I'm not. I don't have his money. OR his penis.
Sorry, guess I better make it clearer than that since you aren't able to read between the lines.
I'm a woman.
Whatever!
"Lord, I should just go back to lurking."
I hear ya!