Mega Millions had already entered historic territory, but it’s truly astounding to think that the jackpot reached an all-time world record, last week.
If a player hits all six numbers to win the jackpot, they can opt for an immediate cash payment of $904 million or receive the $1.6 billion prize over 29 years.
We were in Nevada where you can’t buy lottery tickets – which is very surprising considering the stat is a slot machine and casino mecca.
And we were heading to St George in Utah – again the lottery is not available there – less surprising as it is a very strict Mormon beliefs.
But on Interstate 15, the Virgin River Gorge passes through a little corner of Arizona – where the lottery is, indeed, legal.
So we pulled off at Littlefield and rode the two miles to Beaver Dam to buy a ticket. Of course, it was a Sunday morning and the car park was full of hopefully from both Nevada and Utah – there was almost a festival atmosphere. Outdoor tables accommodated people with bunches of tickets and some people looked as though they were using their annual income to buy as many lines as possible; Jan and I filled in one ticket of five lines each.
I tried to get a coffee in the bar next door; no such luck. You can buy liquor, beer, lottery tickets, play the slots; but you can’t get a coffee.
One very lucky person from South Carolina won this fortune. From The Washington Post:
Simpsonville, S.C., is having a moment.
The small, rural city — population 22,072 — hosted a Doobie Brothers concert Oct. 17, its official site proudly notes. And by next month, a fleet of trucks will be deployed to vacuum up loose leaves.
Then, there is the other news.
A convenience store, KC Mart #7, sold the sole winning ticket for the $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the biggest single-winner lottery payout in U.S. history, Mega Millions officials said Wednesday.
The announcement rolled slowly through Simpsonville.
“Holy cow,” said Mayor Janice Curtis, who first learned of her city’s new prominence after receiving a call from The Washington Post. “I think it’s wonderful news.”
The winning numbers were 5-28-62-65-70, with a Mega Ball number of 5, and lottery officials estimated that 75 percent of all number combinations had been purchased by the time of the drawing
