1 winner in $1.3B Mega Millions jackpot, ticket sold in Illinois

It’s a mega win for some lucky lottery player.

A single ticket, purchased at a gas station and convenience store near Chicago, matched all the numbers for the $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

That figure is based on a 29-year installment plan. Most people opt for the cash option, which is this case is a still-staggering $780.5 million.

The winning numbers in Friday’s drawing were 13, 36, 45, 57 and 67. The gold Mega Ball was 14.

Ernie's Liquors owner Joseph Johny hands over a Mega Millions lottery ticket to a customer in Palo Alto, Calif., Friday, July 29, 2022. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/)

The jackpot is the second-largest since the game debuted two decades ago. The largest was a $1.537 billion pot in 2018. That ticket was bought in South Carolina.

The newest billionaire, whose identity is unkown, grabbed the golden ticket in a Speedway station in Des Plaines, Ill., about 20 miles northwest of Chicago.

Rogelio Ramírez selects numbers to play before buying Mega Millions lottery tickets at Ernie's Liquors in Palo Alto, Calif., Friday, July 29. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/)

Under Illinois law, winners of more than $250,000 can choose to not reveal their names. Most of them choose to remain anonymous, said Illinois Lottery spokeswoman Emilia Mazur.

The winner has not come forward yet.

“We won’t know whether it’s an individual or it’s a lottery pool until the winner comes forward to claim their prize,” Mega Millions spokeswoman Danielle Frizzi-Babb said.

The Illinois winner isn’t the only one who will have more than enough for a rainy day after Friday’s drawing. Twenty-six others across 15 states — including in New York, Pennsylvania and Florida — won what is effectively the second prize, raking in $2 million each.

The store that sold the big jackpot ticket is also a winner. Lottery officials said the Speedway will get a half-million dollars once it is verified as the seller.

Friday’s landmark win marks the fifth Mega Millions prize awarded this year. There was a $426 million prize for one California ticket holder in January, a New Yorker’s $128 million win in March, a $110 Minnesota win the following month, and the $20 million Tennessee win just days later.

With News Wire Services