One online player wins $4 million in Mega Millions drawing this week
By Kate Northrop
The Pennsylvania Lottery announced today that it awarded its largest online prize ever to a player residing in Luzerne County.
One lucky player is celebrating behind a screen after scooping up the Lottery's largest online payout at $4 million.
The prize-winning ticket bought for the Mega Millions drawing on Tues., Jan. 18 matched all five white balls drawn, 4, 19, 39, 42, and 52, but missed the Mega Ball 9 that would have won the $347 million jackpot.
However, the player did add the Megaplier option to their ticket for an extra $1, which quadrupled their $1 million prize to $4 million since the multiplier number drawn was 4.
Because no one won the Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday, the jackpot for the next drawing on Fri., Jan. 21 stands at $376 million, or $256.4 million cash. It's the 39th-largest US lottery jackpot of all time, and the 18th-largest Mega Millions jackpot in game history.
According to the Lottery, more than 35,600 Pennsylvania Lottery Mega Millions tickets won prizes of various amounts in the most recent drawing, including more than 8,600 tickets purchased with the Megaplier option.
Pennsylvania players have the ability to purchase Powerball, Mega Millions, Treasure Hunt, and Cash4Life tickets over the web since the Lottery launched PA Lottery online in May 2018. Currently, Pennsylvania is one of 14 U.S. states to sell lottery products online.
Pennsylvania Lottery players using a desktop computer can buy Mega Millions tickets and Powerball tickets online at the links provided.
I seen megamillions awarded (3) 4M dollar non-jackpot prizes in the last draw. That's a lot of dough. Congratulations to the winner!!
More and more players are choosing to play online, where they have the option. It is much more convenient and efficient for both players and lotteries. More state lotteries are offering online services with convenient Apps. Sadly, US lotteries are very slow to adapt to change. The UK National Lottery, with millions of online subscribers, is leading the way.
great to hear.
Would love it better if a few people won it, but at 4 million, i can see for one, now if i was over 50 million to 100 million or a billion, i always am happier to see it fairly divided amongst a dozen winners nationwide or more.
Congrats!
Currently eight states offer Online lottery wagering, but unlike in the UK with a national lottery, in the U.S. each lottery jurisdiction makes their own lottery related decisions. Because the funds are pooled to create MM and PB jackpots, many people believe they are national lotteries IE until they try to cash their ticket in another state. All secondary prizes in those games are paid by the state lottery that sold the ticket.
Last May someone won $2 million in North Carolina playing PB Online.
Wish my state did online lottery sales. Get tired of driving to the store all the time. But they recently added a ticket scanner to the lottery app, so I guess I can't complain too much.
You're not talking about my home state of Massachusetts are you? Sounds like it. This in response to John-Doe, new member.
You're new, so old LP members bear with me. Several years ago had written to Deborah (so and so), the State Treasurer. She is progressive on the lottery. Told her about here in Kentucky that back then we could buy PB, MM, Cashball 225, Keno and instant tickets on-line. Naturally no reply from her. Since then they've added Pick 3/4 to the mix.
That shows the value of taking the time to add the multiplier. It can be annoying, but in the big money drawings it pays off. 4 million is life changing. Congrats to the winner!!! Imagine being 1 number away from 347 million bucks. Life is a game of inches.
"Imagine being 1 number away from 347 million bucks. "
Imagine using that extra $1 to play just the jackpot with the winning mega ball number on that 2nd play and winning $347 $236 million instead of using it to win an extra $3 million.
If this person had played "Just the Jackpot", they would not have won anything. (See official rules below)
If they had all five numbers, but not the Megaball on that line, they would get zero...zip...ziltch...nada.... NOTHING!
Just the Jackpot
In some states, a special offer called Just the Jackpot is available. Jackpot players will love this exciting new wager type that allows them to play specifically for the jackpot only. At a price of $3, the player will receive two plays for the jackpot only. Just the Jackpot tickets are not eligible for any other prize levels. To see if the lottery in your jurisdiction offers this option, visit that lottery’s website (you can find links on our “Where to Play” page).
Once in a blue moon when the jackpot is sky high I'll play it on-line only, so rare are my plays can only think of twice that it was purchased.
It gives one the illusion perhaps that the big one will be hit for $1.50/line what a bargain! The big turn off as you mentioned you get nothing for anything else.
Someone should get a pay raise or bonus for coming up with the "for an extra buck" options!
For a dollar more, players can get two chances to win the jackpot or at least double a secondary prize payoff. As a player, which is more likely: matching all five numbers plus the bonus number on one of the two "all or nothing" tickets or matching something less on one powerplay or one megaplier ticket?