West Virginia Woman Wins $1 Million Playing Mega Millions®; Friday’s World Record Jackpot Increased
March 29, 2012
West Virginia Woman Wins $1 Million Playing Mega Millions®; Friday's World Record Jackpot Increased to $540 Million!
3/29/2012
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Lottery Director John Musgrave introduced West Virginia’s latest $1 million Mega Millions® winner today at a press conference in Charleston. Judy Price, a resident of Fairview, West Virginia, matched five numbers and played the Megaplier® option for last Tuesday night’s Mega Millions® drawing.
Price bought her $1 million ticket at the Circle K in Fairview. There were no jackpot winners nationwide for that drawing so Friday’s Mega Million’s jackpot is now a record $540 million with a cash option of $389.8 million. Those totals make it the largest jackpot in world history in terms of both the annuity amount and cash option amount.
“We are thrilled to have yet another million dollar winner right here in West Virginia thanks to Mega Millions,” Musgrave said. “This year is turning out to be the year of million dollar winners in West Virginia. Ms. Price is our second $1 million Mega Millions® winner in three months and our fourth West Virginia native to win a prize of $1 million or more already this year. The common denominator among all four of our most recent big winners is that they have purchased the Megaplier or Powerplay option for that extra $1 and it has payed off for each of them in a big way.”
Musgrave said that Mega Millions® sales statewide have been brisk with the ever growing large jackpot that now stands at a record amount.
“We are seeing a huge increase in Mega Millions® sales statewide with the incredible jackpot amounts. These multi-state games are jackpot driven and our retailers have experienced a huge rush by players to buy a chance at an incredible amount of money,” Musgrave said.
Price, 71, and her husband Ronnie are retired. Price was one of 47 players nationally that matched five numbers and only missed the Mega Ball in last Tuesday’s Mega Millions® drawing. Her ticket was also one of only four to have played the Megaplier® option, thus her winnings increased from $250,000 to $1 million.
Price is the 33rd winner of $1 million or more in the 26-year history of the West Virginia Lottery.
LARGEST U.S. LOTTERY JACKPOTS IN HISTORY
(IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS)
$540 MM – Friday, Mar 30, 2012
$390 MM – Mar 6, 2007
$380 MM – Jan 3, 2011
$365 PB – Feb 18, 2006
$340 PB – Oct 19, 2005
$336 MM – Aug 28, 2009
Key: MM- Mega Millions®, PB-Powerball®
TOP WORLD RECORD LOTTERY JACKPOTS
MM $540 Million (Cash $389.8 Million) March 30, 2012 Mega Millions
GA/NJ $390.0 million (2 tickets) March 6, 2007 Mega Millions
MM $380 Million (Cash $224.2+ million) Jan 4, 2011
UK (Cash US$259 million) July 2011 EuroMillions
FR/P (Cash US$243 million) March 2006 EuroMillions
Italy US$376.4 million (Cash US$234.5 million) Oct 20, 2010 SuperEnalotto
NE $365 million (Cash $177.3 million) Feb 18, 2006 Powerball
IL/MI $363 million (Cash ) May 9, 2000, Big Game
RI $336 million (Cash $210 million) Feb 11, 2012 Powerball
CA/NY $336 million (Cash unknown) Aug 28, 2009
OR $340 million (Cash $164.4 million) Oct 19, 2005 Powerball
