Friday’s drawing offers a $630 million jackpot, 5th largest of game

RALEIGH – Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing produced four big wins in North Carolina including one prize of $10,000, two $30,000 prizes, and a fourth prize of $1 million.

The lucky $1 million winner, one of four nationally in the drawing, purchased the ticket at the Lake Wylie Mini Mart on Union Road in Gastonia. The $2 ticket matched the numbers on all five white balls to win the $1 million prize. The odds of matching numbers on all five white balls are 1 in 12.6 million.

The two $30,000 wins occurred in Smithfield and New Bern. The $3 tickets matched four of the white balls and the Mega Ball to win $10,000, but since they were Megaplier tickets the prize tripled when the 3X multiplier was drawn. Those tickets were purchased at the Speedway on South Glenburnie Road in New Bern and the Murphy Express on North Brightleaf Road in Smithfield.

The fourth big win occurred with a $2 ticket purchased through the lottery’s Online Play program from a player in Greenville. The ticket also matched the four white balls and the Mega Ball. The odds of matching four white balls and the Mega Ball are 1 in 931,000.

The winners have 180 days from the drawing to claim their prize.

Since no one won Tuesday’s jackpot, the Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $630 million as an annuity prize or $359.7 million cash for Friday’s drawing. The Friday jackpot ranks as the 5th largest in the history of the game. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302 million.

The Powerball jackpot just crossed the $100 million mark for Wednesday’s drawing. The jackpot weighs in as $101 million as an annuity or $58.7 million cash.

Players can buy Mega Millions and Powerball tickets at any lottery retail location, through Online Play on the lottery’s website or by using the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.

Ticket sales from draw games make it possible for the lottery to raise about $2.5 million a day on average for education. For details on how money raised by the lottery made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties last year, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.