Lottery Prize Awaits
Published 4:58 pm Tuesday, June 4, 2013
FARMVILLE – Someone somewhere has purchased a winning $99 million lottery ticket from Farmville's Food Lion for the May 17 Mega Millions drawing, but the question remains who?
Lottery Spokesman John Hagerty told The Herald Tuesday morning they have not heard anything.
“I…understand there's a lot of rumors going around, but I can tell you definitely we have not seen that ticket,” he said. “We have not been contacted. And we're just as curious as everyone else.”
Two tickets matched all six numbers for the drawing that has a jackpot with an estimated total of $198 million-which means the ticket holders would receive roughly $99 million each. The second ticket was purchased in New Jersey.
The winning numbers were 11-15-35-43-49 and the Mega Ball number 41.
It is still, however, early in the process. Winners have 180 days from the date of the drawing. Tickets not redeemed within the 180-day timeframe, the ticket expires by law, Hagerty cited, and the prize money goes to the State's Literary Fund, which aids in the construction of schools.
While it's only been a little over two weeks, Hagerty offered that it's “still a bit early.” Sometimes jackpot winners will come in immediately, sometimes they wait a month or more to get their financial affairs in order.
“There's really no telling,” Hagerty said. “And, of course, there's no telling if the person who has this ticket even knows they have it.”
There are 45 U.S. lotteries that participate in Mega Millions, including 43 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Winners can either take the full $99 million in 26 annual payments or a one-time cash option of approximately $73.3 million before taxes.