Record $640 mln lottery prize awaiting its winner

PanARMENIAN.Net - The record $640 million lottery prize that sent the United States into a gambling frenzy reportedly had at least one winner on March 31 as local media said the winning ticket had been sold in the state of Maryland.

The winning numbers - 2, 4, 23, 38, 46 with Mega Ball 23 - were announced here at 11:00 pm local time.

There has been no official announcement from Mega Millions lottery yet, AFP reports.

MSNBC television cited an unnamed Maryland lottery official in reporting the news. The Washington Post, using similar sources, said the winning ticket had been sold in Baltimore County.

However, it was not immediately clear if the Maryland ticket was the only one to win the gigantic jackpot.

Experts warned it could be days or even weeks before somebody showed up to claim the prize as winners usually tend to hash out all the legal issues with their lawyers before taking that step.

The chance to get suddenly very, very rich - even if it was only a one-in-176-million chance - had sparked feverish ticket sales at convenience stores and news kiosks across the United States.

The jackpot hit a record level because no one had matched the magic five numbers and Mega Ball since January 24 - a full 18 draws with no winner.

Mega Millions is played in 42 US states plus the national capital Washington and the US Virgin Islands. Foreigners can play, too, but they must be in the United States.

The lucky winner gets to choose between an immediate cash option or the full amount disbursed over 26 annual payments. The prize will then take a severe knock in federal and state taxes.

The previous US record draw, in 2007, was $390 million.