National

Two Mega Millions players win $1 million. Where were the lucky tickets sold?

Mega Millions tickets sold in Illinois and New Jersey match five numbers to win $1 million, just missing the $306 million jackpot.
Mega Millions tickets sold in Illinois and New Jersey match five numbers to win $1 million, just missing the $306 million jackpot. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Mega Millions tickets sold in Illinois and New Jersey win $1 million and narrowly missed the $306 million jackpot, lottery officials say.

The tickets matched five winning numbers but not the Mega Ball in the drawing Friday, July 26, the national Mega Millions site said.

A ticket sold in California, which adjusts lottery prizes based on the number of tickets sold and number of winners, also matched five numbers to win $415,055, McClatchy News reported.

Nobody won the grand prize, which rises to an estimated $331 million, with a cash option of approximately $156.2 million, for the next drawing Tuesday, July 30, the national site said.

The winning numbers were 2, 14, 33, 58 and 65 with a Mega Ball of 3. The Megaplier was 3.

Nearly 725,000 other tickets sold in the United States won prizes ranging from $2 to $30,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.

The Mega Millions jackpot has gone unclaimed since June 4, when an Illinois player hit the $552 million grand prize, lottery officials said.

What to know about Mega Millions

To score a jackpot in the Mega Millions, a player must match all five white balls and the gold Mega Ball.

The odds of scoring a jackpot prize are 1 in 302,575,350.

Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.

Drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

Read Next
Read Next
Read Next

This story was originally published July 28, 2024 at 7:32 AM with the headline "Two Mega Millions players win $1 million. Where were the lucky tickets sold?."

DS
Don Sweeney
The Sacramento Bee
Don Sweeney has been a newspaper reporter and editor in California for more than 35 years. He is a service reporter based at The Sacramento Bee.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER