A Mega Millions jackpot prize of $552 million has been won by a ticket buyer in Illinois who did it the new-fashioned way, making the purchase online. The winner has yet to come forward to claim their prize, Meghan Powers, the director of communications for Illinois Lottery, told CNN Wednesday. While Tuesday night's jackpot was $552 million , the winner can choose the cash option of $260 million, according to Mega Millions.
The winning numbers? 19, 37, 40, 63, 69 and gold Mega Ball 17. Related video above: Five things you shouldn't do if you win the lottery There are over 7,000 retailers in Illinois that sell Illinois Lottery tickets, according to Powers, but the winner purchased theirs through the online platform and not in a store, she said. Illinois Lottery has been selling tickets online since 2012 and was the first jurisdiction to do so, Powers noted.
About 25% of tickets for Tuesday night's draw were bought online in Illinois, she said. The jackpot has been rolling since March 26 when a New Jersey customer clinched the $1.1 billion prize, the fifth-highest in Mega Millions jackpot history, at a Neptune ShopRite supermarket.
According to a Mega Millions news release , tickets are sold for $2 in 45 states, Washington, DC and the US Virgin Islands, and "in most jurisdictions" players can add a Megaplier for an additional dollar. A Megaplier increases non-jackpot prizes by two to five times depending on which ball is picked from a pool of 15. The odds of winning the jackpot.