Washington, United States — A winning ticket has been sold for a United States lottery jackpot of $1.22 billion, its organizer said Saturday, one of largest prizes in the history of the gambling game.
The ticket was sold in the state of California, Mega Millions said, after the winning six numbers were announced on Friday night.
The identity of the winner is not yet clear. It is also unclear whether they are aware they hold the jackpot ticket and are coming forward to claim their prize.
They bought the ticket at a gas station in the town of Cottonwood, about 210 kilometers north of the city of Sacramento, Mega Millions said.
The winning numbers were: 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 and 6.
The winner can claim the full $1.22 billion in annual payments over a period of 30 years or opt for a one-off cash payout of $549.7 million before tax.
The prize is the fifth largest jackpot in history offered by Mega Millions — which sells tickets across 45 states.
The largest lottery bonanza in history was $2.04 billion. The winning ticket for that Powerball prize was also sold in California.
