Mega Millions made an anonymous someone visiting West Virginia a millionaire.
The winning ticket was purchased at the Pilot Flying J in Sutton. The winner claimed the prize anonymously saying only that they were located outside of West Virginia.
Under West Virginia law, lottery winners of prizes of $1 million or more can request to be anonymous.
Where ever that lucky person is from, it’s good news for The Pilot Flying J because they will receive a 1% selling bonus.
Additionally, four other people became millionaires after the Mega Millions drawing on May 28.
The other winning tickets were sold in:
- Virginia
- California
- Michigan
- New Jersey
The five lucky winners matched the five white balls and but did not match the gold Mega Ball. Two people spent an extra dollar when they bought the Megaplier to double their winnings to $2 million. The West Virginia ticket holder being one of them.
Mega Millions jackpot keeps growing
The next Mega Millions drawing happens on Friday, June 7 with an estimated $530 million jackpot.
If someone should successfully match all five numbers plus the gold Mega Ball, they will claim the seventh largest Mega Millions jackpot of all time.
If they choose the cash option, the winner will pocket a cool $343.9 million.
How to increase your chances of winning
Richard Lustig, a seven-time lottery winner, has some advice for those playing the lottery. He admits that there is no magic.
West Virginia Lottery players can increase their odds, however, by doing the picking yourself. Don’t take the lazy way out and let the machine “quick pick” for you. Choose your numbers and stick with them. Lustig elaborated to CBS News:
“It doesn’t matter how you pick your numbers, once you pick your set of numbers, research them to know if it’s a good set of numbers and stick with them. There’s no magic method to picking your numbers, I get emails every day asking. One number doesn’t win the jackpot, a set of numbers does.”
There are 23 states that claim a Mega Millions jackpot winner, West Virginia, unfortunately, isn’t one of them. In fact, it has been since Aug.12, 2016 since the state has sold a million-dollar Mega Millions ticket.
A group of 26 former and current WVU employees, dubbed the “The Mountaineer 26,” collected $1 million from Mega Millions for correctly matching five numbers.
Maybe Friday will be the lucky day for someone in the Mountain State to finally claim the top prize.
How to Play Mega Millions
Gamblers in the Mountain State are still waiting for online sports betting to launch. Playing the lottery, thankfully, is a bit easier.
First of all, there are over 1,500 retailers across the state, compared to only three active WV sportsbooks. Plus, it only costs $2 for a chance to become the next Mega Millions millionaire.
A player can purchase the Megaplier for an additional $1. The Megaplier is drawn alongside the numbers and can multiply the winnings of a ticket up to five times.
Tickets can be purchased at any West Virginia Lottery retailer up until 9:59 p.m. ET on the drawing date. Mega Millions drawings happen twice weekly, every Tuesday and Friday.
Large sum lottery winners are advised to sign the back of the ticket immediately and contact the West Virginia Lottery at 304-558-0500 for information on how to claim their prize.
The odds of winning Mega Millions
So, what are your odds of winning the jackpot? Honestly, not good.
The odds of winning are 1 in 302,575,350. Here is a complete breakdown:
| Number of white balls | Gold Mega Ball | Prize amount | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Yes | Jackpot | 1 in 302,575,350 |
| 5 | No | $1,000,000 | 1 in 12,607,306 |
| 4 | Yes | $10,000 | 1 in 931,001 |
| 4 | No | $500 | 1 in 38,792 |
| 3 | Yes | $200 | 1 in 14,547 |
| 3 | No | $10 | 1 in 606 |
| 2 | Yes | $10 | 1 in 693 |
| 1 | Yes | $4 | 1 in 89 |
| 1 | No | $2 | 1 in 37 |
| Overall chance of winning a prize | 1 in 24 |
