After weeks of buildup, someone has won the record-breaking $1.28 billion Mega Millions jackpot.
Unfortunately, that someone is not from Delaware.
Mega Millions announced Saturday morning that a ticket sold in Illinois matched all six numbers, earning them the second largest payout in Mega Millions history. The odds of picking the winning digits — 13, 36, 45, 57, 67 and a Mega Ball of 14 — were about 1 in 303 million.
THE WINNERS:Mega Millions winner! $1.28B winning lottery ticket sold in Illinois for July 29 jackpot
No Delawareans managed to win the $1 million prize for matching all five numbers except for the Mega Ball, either. It wasn’t for lack of trying, though.
Convenience stores and other lottery ticket sellers across the First State said they saw a massive influx in customers coming to try their luck after no one won Tuesday’s jackpot. If Friday night’s drawing also went without a winner, the pot would have grown to an estimated $1.7 billion.
MORE:It’s the 2nd largest Mega Millions prize ever. Who doesn’t want a chance at $1.2 billion?
Anyone planning to try their luck again for the next Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday could win an estimated $20 million with a cash option of $11.6 million.
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
