
Winning Mega Millions lottery tickets sold in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
Final jackpot total of $656 million will be split three ways
How would you react if you won?
By Todd Northrop
The largest lottery jackpot the world has ever seen has been won Friday night by three tickets sold in Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland.
Since early Wednesday morning, the Mega Millions lottery jackpot was raised three times in as many days, and by the time all the sales were totalled at draw time, the jackpot stood at a faint-inducing $656 million.
The Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, March 30, 2012, were 2, 4, 23, 38, and 46, with Mega Ball number 23. The Megaplier number was 3.
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot was the accumulation of 18 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner over a two-month stretch. The final jackpot tally utterly decimated the previous world-record jackpot of $390 million, which has been held by the Mega Millions game since March, 2007.
Three winners probably got very little sleep Friday night, as they try to process winning the world's largest lottery jackpot.
Are the winners running around the house screaming? Are they calling their family? Or maybe calling their boss to quit their job? What are they planning to do with all that loot?
What is the first thing you would do?
The Maryland Lottery reported that the winning ticket sold in that state was purchased at a 7-11 store in Milford, Baltimore County. In Maryland, winners have the option of remaining anonymous.
"This is truly remarkable and historic," said Maryland Lottery Director Stephen Martino. "We can't wait to greet the winner of this world-record setting jackpot."
The person holding the winning Maryland ticket purchased it at 7:15 pm Friday night, buying just one quick pick ticket.
The Illinois winning ticket was sold at the Red Bud Motomart on South Main Street in Red Bud. It was a quick pick.
The location of the store selling the winning ticket in Kansas has not yet been released, but the Kansas Lottery indicated that the winning ticket was sold in the northeast region.
Fortunately, even if you didn't win the jackpot, the Mega Millions game still offers another 8 ways to win lower-tier prizes.
In addition to the jackpot winner, a whopping 161 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers, but not the Mega Ball, for a $250,000 prize: 3 from Arizona, 1 from Arkansas, 29 from California, 2 from Colorado, 1 from Connecticut, 1 from Delaware, 6 from Georgia, 2 from Idaho, 12 from Illinois, 1 from Indiana, 1 from Kansas, 4 from Kentucky, 2 from Louisiana, 4 from Maryland, 5 from Massachusetts, 6 from Michigan, 4 from Minnesota, 1 from Missouri, 5 from New Jersey, 1 from New Mexico, 17 from New York, 4 from North Carolina, 10 from Ohio, 1 from Oklahoma, 5 from Pennsylvania, 1 from Rhode Island, 1 from South Carolina, 1 from South Dakota, 2 from Tennessee, 14 from Texas, 5 from Virginia, 5 from Washington, 1 from West Virginia, and 3 from Wisconsin.
The 29 California winners will each be awarded prizes of $227,955 because California awards all prizes in a pari-mutuel formula, which calculates the prize amount based on the number of tickets sold and the number of winners in each prize category.
Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time
After all the proceeds were counted, Friday's $656 million Mega Millions jackpot stood as the largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States — by far.
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
- Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
- The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
- Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon
- Powerball: $336.4 million, Feb. 11, 2012 - Rhode Island
- Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009 - California, New York
- The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002 - Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $330 million, Aug. 31, 2007 - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
- Mega Millions: $319 million, Mar. 25, 2011 - New York
- Mega Millions: $315 million, Nov. 15, 2005 - California
- Powerball: $314.9 million, Dec. 26, 2002 - West Virgina
- Powerball: $314.3 million, Aug. 25, 2007 - Indiana
- Powerball: $295.7 million, Jul. 29, 1998 - Indiana
- Powerball: $295 million, Aug. 25, 2001 - Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $294 million, Jul. 2, 2004 - Massachusetts
- Powerball: $276.3 million, Mar. 15, 2008 - West Virgina
- Mega Millions: $275 million, Feb. 22, 2008 - Georgia
- Mega Millions: $270 million, Feb. 28, 2006 - Ohio
- Mega Millions: $266 million, May 4, 2010 - California
- Mega Millions: $265 million, Apr. 18, 2006 - Ohio
- Powerball: $261.6 million, Jun. 2, 2010 - Ohio
- Powerball: $261.3 million, Jul. 9, 2003 - Missouri, Pennsylvania
- Powerball: $259.9 million, Aug. 19, 2009 - South Carolina
Story Updated, 1:45 pm: The jackpot has been updated in the story to reflect the final tally of $656 million, which was not available until the proceeds from each state were calculated.
Guess there's no $1 Billion+ Draw this Tuesday
time to take a rest & get ready for the next Lotto Frenzy
What a ride!
I'm surprised that only 3 won, but it's better than just 1. I thought it would be 5 winners.
Congrats to those people and may they have sound mind moving forward!
Well folks that's it,wonder how long it will be before it reaches that amount or more again. I'm glad it was split. Just wish I would have had some numbers to match,did'nt have nothing. Congrats to the winners,hope they play it safe.
I have a friend who got 4 out of 5 numbers plus the megaball. He picked 01 instead of 02. Off by one number!!!!!!
Originally, he thought he won $150, but his wife told him they won $10,000!! He's pretty excited but can't believe he lost half a billion by one digit!!
Wonder if that Illinoois winner played ONLINE?
I am going to sound like a schmuck but I am glad it was won by at least 3 different tickets and one from Illinois. Now I just hope they were all quick picks and all lottery pools because that will just stoke the lotto fever even more next go around and it will make me feel better that someone other than me or my family is super rich. I only had 3 of the larger numbers and missed the lower numbers by one on each side on my own pick. That sucks!
FTS
was kinda hoping it roll @ least once more for the pure chits N giggles
but que sera sera &
to the 3 or more lucky stiffs
no ticket was a quick pick bought in a convenience store 926519 RED BUD MOTOMART #3121
I wish that it had been 1 ticket.
That would have driven the childish people crazy.
Congrats to the winners!
Congratulations to the lucky winners!!!
I broke even. Had the bonus ball on one ticket and the bonus ball plus one # on another with the megaplier for $15.