Mega Millions $522 million jackpot: One ticket takes top prize

One winning ticket was sold for the whopping $522 million Mega Millions jackpot,  with a one-time cash option of $308 million, Mega Millions officials said.

The winning numbers drawn Tuesday night were 1, 2, 4, 19 and 29, with the Mega Ball number 20.

The ticket for the fifth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history was purchased in Ernie’s Liquors in San Jose, California, where a crowd of well-wishers gathered after the announcement, reports CBS San Francisco.

Owner Kawal Sachdev told the station he was taking a nap when one of his employees called and congratulated him.

“I jumped and came right over (to the store),” he said.

In addition to the $522 million winner, eight tickets matched the five white balls to win the game’s second prize. Six, worth $1 million each, were sold in Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota and two in New Jersey.  Two, sold in Massachusetts and Texas, included the optional Megaplier (a $1 purchase available in most states) and are worth $3 million each.

Tickets cost $2. Sales time cut-offs vary by state but are usually one to two hours before the drawing.

Overall, even with more options for giant payouts, the odds of winning a jackpot remain abysmal at 1 in 258.9 million for Mega Millions and 1 in 292.2 million for Powerball.

The odds of winning both jackpots are one in 75 quadrillion — that’s 15 zeros — according to data scientists at Allstate.

The average American spends about $200 a year on lottery tickets, though residents of some states spend far more. According to a study by LendEDU, the average Massachusetts resident spends $735 annually on lottery tickets. Rhode Islanders plop down $514 a year. And if you live in Delaware or New York, you’re likely spending about $400 a year, or $33 per month (see map below).

The odds of winning “scratchers” — those little instant winning tickets that you can buy for prices ranging from $1 to $50 — are better, but it’s still no way to get rich.