Mega Millions Pays Out $105 Million to Virginia Player

Friday's Mega Millions winning numbers were attached to a $105 million jackpot. It was hardly the biggest prize offered by Mega Millions this year, yet it was the first time in several weeks the jackpot was this big. Past winning numbers handed out prizes of $319 million and $190 million, so this jackpot was milder by comparison. However, one player in Herndon, Va., is unlikely to mind that he or she won too soon.

According to ABC 13 in Virginia, a winning ticket was sold somewhere in Herndon, and it was the only perfect ticket of the evening. As such, the winner will have sole possession of the $105 million pot, either through a lump sum or through annual payments.

The lucky numbers were 12, 17, 30, 35 and 47, with the Mega Ball yielding 26. No one had won the game since a mere $27 million grand prize was claimed on May 13. In fact, there hadn't been any noteworthy Mega Millions results since March 25, when a whopping $319 million was won by a group called the Albany 7 from New York.

As this was the first lottery jackpot to cross $100 million since then, the results were particularly noteworthy. However, it didn't even come close to matching the big money from earlier in the year. And now there won't even be a $100 million pot for several weeks, since Mega Millions is down to the minimum $12 million payout, and Powerball is down to $20 million.

By the extreme high standards of the past, the lottery hasn't paid out that much lately. Still, $105 million is only small by those standards, so Friday's winner will be in no position to complain. However, he or she will only get $68.1 million before taxes, should the lump sum option be used. The winner hasn't come forward yet, however, although Virginia lottery officials will reveal the store where the ticket was bought on Saturday.

There are several others who fell just short of sharing the jackpot, as they got all the winning numbers except one. Nine players hit everything but the Mega Ball, with one each in California, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin. These lucky, but not quite lucky enough, people will celebrate the Fourth of July weekend with $250,000 once they come forward.

Getting the $250,000 second prize is still easier than winning the grand prize, although players seem to be getting a little better at it lately. As such, it will be several weeks, at the earliest, before Mega Millions offers another $100+ million jackpot and beyond, with only $12 million at stake for the next drawing on July 5.

Sources

Mega Millions- "Winning Numbers: 7/1/2011"

WSET-TV- "Winning Mega Millions ticket sold in Herndon, Va"