SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – No one won Tuesday night’s Mega Millions jackpot, but someone in Virginia matched the first five numbers to win $1 million.
The ticket was purchased at Joe’s Kwik Marts at 1555 Holland Road in Suffolk. It was one of only four tickets nationwide to match all the winning numbers except the Mega Ball number.
The Virginia Lottery will give the store $10,000 for selling the winning ticket.
The winning numbers for the March 19 drawing were 24-46-49-62-66, and the Mega Ball number was 7.
Whoever has the winning ticket has 180 days from the drawing date to claim the prize. If you’re that person, the Virginia Lottery says before you do anything else, sign the back of the ticket to claim it.
John Hagerty, a spokesperson for Virginia Lottery, said the first thing he would do if he won the lottery would be signing the back of the ticket. Then, he would assemble some help.
“Then it’s time to start putting together a team,” Hagerty said. “We’re talking about financial experts, tax experts, because of course the tax implications are huge when we’re talking about this kind of money. You probably need legal help as well.”
According to lottery officials, 66,548 tickets bought in Virginia for Tuesday’s drawing won prizes ranging from $2 all the way up to $1 million.
Since no one matched all six numbers to win the $893 million jackpot, Friday’s Mega Millions drawing has grown to an estimated $977 million.
Hagerty states that excitement for the lottery increases when the jackpot gets this high. He sees many people make it into a social event, like pooling in on tickets.
“By all means, have fun with it, but don’t go overboard,” Hagerty said. “Play responsibly.”
The Virginia Lottery expects to sell $2 million worth of lottery tickets this Friday, selling about 2,000 tickets per minute during peak hours.
Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.
The Virginia Lottery has reported on several winning tickets sold in Suffolk this year. Here are the links to WAVY’s coverage: