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Low stakes, high wins: the Mega Millions jackpot in the USA
Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP
In the USA, a lottery prize of 1.34 billion dollars (equivalent to 1.31 billion euros) is waiting for a single winner.
The holder of the winning ticket, which cost two dollars to buy, matched all six numbers in Friday's drawing.
The lottery organizers said the winning ticket for the mega jackpot was sold in the state of Illinois.
It is not yet known who won.
“We are excited to see who won and look forward to congratulating the winner soon!” the organizer said on his website.
In the last 29 draws leading up to Friday, no lottery player had guessed the right six.
That's why the main prize had grown steadily.
The $1.34 billion is the second largest jackpot in the lottery's 20-year history.
It is only surpassed by a profit of around $1.5 billion in 2018.
Probability of one in 303 million
The winner can choose between a lump sum payment or a payout over 30 years.
Most winners opt for the lump sum, which, according to the lottery operators, is associated with a high tax burden.
The chance of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot is about one in about 303 million.
In contrast, the probability of being struck by lightning is one in a million, according to data from the US authorities.
atb/AFP/Reuters