Mega Millions jackpot grows to $1 billion. When was the last time NC had a winner?
The numbers for the Mega Millions drawing Friday night are in.
A jackpot winner has not been announced since April and the lottery’s grand prize has ballooned to an estimated $1.05 billion, with a $527.9 million cash option. It is the fourth-largest prize in the lottery’s history.
The most recent North Carolina natives to take home the Mega Millions grand prize was the Jones Family from Greenville, North Carolina. On September 30, 2011, the family split the jackpot with a group from Los Angeles, who submitted their winning ticket on the same day. Each group took home $56.5 million.
Mike Manheim from Greensboro, North Carolina cashed in his winning Mega Millions ticket the year prior. His winnings on May 28, 2010, earned him $12 million.
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What were the July 28 Mega Millions drawing numbers?
The winning numbers from the Friday's drawing were 5, 10, 28, 52 and 63. The Mega Ball was 18 and the Megaplier was 5X.
No tickets matched all the numbers to win the jackpot. There were some big winners Friday night, just not a winner of the biggest prize. One winner in Pennsylvania won $5 million, matching all of the five white balls and the Megaplier. Four others – one each in Pennsylvania, Arizona, California and New York – won $1 million prizes, matching the five white balls.
Drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. The next drawing is Tuesday, August 1.
Where to buy Mega Millions tickets
You can play Mega Millions in 47 localities: 45 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To find locations, search the Mega Millions website.
Tickets can be purchased in person at a lottery retail location or through Online Play on the lottery's website or mobile app.
Players can buy tickets until 10:45 p.m. at retail locations and 10:43 p.m. with Online Play.
Players who have an account on the North Carolina Education Lottery website will get notified if they win a prize in the drawing.
How to play Mega Millions
Mega Millions tickets cost $2 per play.
There are nine total ways to win a prize, from the jackpot to $2.
Players can pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers: five different numbers from the white balls numbered 1-70 and one number from the gold balls numbered 1-25.
Five white balls + one gold ball = Jackpot.
Five white balls = $1 million.
Four white balls + one gold ball = $10,000.
Four white balls = $500.
Three white balls + one gold ball = $200.
Three white balls = $10.
Two white balls + one gold ball= $10.
One white ball + one gold ball = $4.
One gold ball = $2.
You can either pick your lucky numbers yourself or select Easy Pick or Quick Pick and have the numbers auto-drawn. If you can't make up your mind, the Mega Millions website has a random number generator.
What is the Megaplier?
Most states offer the Megaplier feature, which increases non-jackpot prizes from two, three, four and five times.
It costs an additional $1 per play.
Before each regular Mega Millions drawing, the Megaplier is drawn. From a pool of 15 balls, five are marked with "2X," three with "4X" and one with "5X."
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Mega Millions: Last North Carolina winner, when are numbers drawn
