SC family & friends played Mega Millions together. Now they’re splitting seven-digit prize
A group of family and friends who teamed up to buy a Mega Millions ticket have won a seven-figure prize, according to South Carolina Education Lottery officials.
It took some time for the group of six to cash in their $1 million winning ticket that they bought at a Columbia gas station in November 2023, officials said in a release.
The group’s organizer told officials several weeks passed before he checked their Mega Millions ticket, which was purchased prior to the Nov. 17, 2023, drawing at the Murphy Express gas station/convenience store at 210 Ricky Lane. That’s near the intersection with Clemson Road, in the area between Farrow and Longtown roads.
The winning numbers from that drawing were 6, 12, 31, 33, 69 and Megaball: 17.
The group’s ticket matched all five of the numbers on the white balls that were drawn, but missed the Megaball number, for a $1 million jackpot, officials said.
The odds of matching five white balls for the $1,000,000 prize are 1-in-12,607,306, according to the release.
“I invited everyone to lunch and surprised them with the news,” the group’s organizer said in the release.
The six winners waited until everyone was available to go cash in the winning ticket, officials said.
The group members are putting their newfound windfall — split six ways — toward retirement, savings and vacations, according to the release.
The winners will be allowed to retain some privacy, as South Carolina is one of 11 states — along with Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Virginia — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
The Murphy Express received a commission of $10,000 when the winning ticket was turned in to lottery officials, according to the release.
Because there was no grand prize winner last week, the jackpot for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing has risen to $493 million.
Tickets are $2, and could cost more with additional options.
The odds of winning Mega Million’s grand prize are 1-in-302,575,350.
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This story was originally published February 20, 2024 at 12:40 PM with the headline "SC family & friends played Mega Millions together. Now they’re splitting seven-digit prize."
