Mega Millions players are urged to check their tickets after a $1 million prize remains unclaimed in Louisiana. The winning slip was purchased at Town South Food Mart in Baton Rouge before Tuesday’s draw, according to local station KEEL.
The ticket matched five numbers, missing the jackpot by just one. The winner has 180 days to claim the prize by bringing the ticket to the lottery headquarters in Baton Rouge.
The odds of winning the $1 million prize are about one in 12.6 million. Once claimed, the winner will owe 24% in federal taxes and 4.25% to the state.
No jackpot winner was declared Tuesday, so the prize has rolled over to an estimated $825 million, with a cash value of $382.2 million. If won on Friday, it would be the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever claimed in December.
Mega Millions officials say no one has ever won the jackpot on Christmas Day. The game has seen 13 jackpot wins during December since it started.
The last Mega Millions jackpot was won in September by a Texas player, who took home $810 million.
Starting in April, Mega Millions will introduce changes, including better odds of winning the top prize, bigger starting jackpots, and faster-growing prize pools. Breakeven prizes will end, meaning winners will get more than the ticket cost.
However, the ticket price will also increase from $2 to $5, marking only the second price hike since the game launched in 2002.
