The winning ticket was sold in Simpsonville (South Carolina). According to the rules, the winner has 180 days from the date of the draw to declare itself, that is, until April 21, 2019, writes Fox News.
If the winnings are not claimed in the allotted time, “each participating Mega Millions state will receive all the money that it contributed to the unclaimed jackpot,” the Mega Millions website says. The publication clarified that “every state uses money from unclaimed lottery prizes for different purposes.”
The lucky ticket sold at KC Mart had all six numbers won. The chance of such a coincidence was 1 out of 302.5 million.
Jill Patel, the manager of the store where the winning lottery ticket was sold, said that “lotto tourists” stop at the store every day to take a photo of this place. According to him, from 10 to 15 such tourists come in a day.
The winner will become a true billionaire only if he decides to take the prize in the form of annual contributions for three decades. The lucky one can also take money in a single payment, but then he will not become a billionaire, since he will receive only $ 877.8 million in his hands. Most of the winners prefer to receive their winnings in the second way.
The laws of South Carolina allow lottery winners to remain anonymous if they wish.