SOUTH CAROLINA -- Lottery officials say someone has won the record $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

  • The winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5.
  • No details on where the ticket was sold. 
  • Two people also won $1 million in North Carolina. 

Mega Millions officials said a ticket purchased in South Carolina matches all six numbers in Tuesday night's drawing. The massive jackpot is the world's largest ever lottery grand prize.

The $1.6 billion prize reflects the annuity option, paid over 29 years. However, nearly all winners take the cash option, which for Tuesday's drawing was an estimated $913 million.

The winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5. No details on where the winning ticket was sold were immediately available. But the lucky player overcame miserable odds: The chance of matching all six numbers and winning the top prize is 1 in 302.5 million.

Mega Millions is played in 44 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

It will likely be days or even weeks before a winner steps forward to claim the prize, which would be an estimated $913 million if they take the cash option. The $1.6 billion prize reflects the annuity option, paid over 29 years.

Other than South Carolina, we learned from NC lottery officials that two winning tickets for $1 million were purchased in North Carolina. 

In eight states — South Carolina, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas — winners can remain anonymous, but in the others their identities will become public.

The Mega Millions jackpot grew so large because it had been nearly three months since a player had matched all six numbers and won the top prize. The last time that happened was July 24, when 11 co-workers from California won a $543 million prize.

Although Tuesday's jackpot was extraordinarily large, it's no fluke. It reflects a trend toward ever-growing lottery prizes due to changes in the game that worsened the odds with hopes that bigger jackpots would result in better sales.

Officials with the Powerball game were the first to make that move in October 2015 when changing the odds of winning the jackpot from 1 in 175 million to 1 in 292.2 million. Mega Millions followed suit in October 2017, resulting in the odds worsening from 1 in 259 million to 1 in 302.5 million.

While most attention has been on the Mega Millions game, Powerball also has been soaring. The estimated prize for Powerball's annuity option in Wednesday night's drawing is $620 million, with a cash prize of $354.3 million.