A Mega Millions player in New Mexico is holding a ticket worth a huge $2 million after coming just one number short of the game’s top prize.
The winning ticket matched all five white balls in the latest drawing but missed the gold Mega Ball. Normally, that result is already worth a major prize. In this case, the ticket included a 2x multiplier, pushing the payout up to $2 million.
The winning numbers drawn on August 25 were 7, 10, 47, 48 and 50. The gold Mega Ball was 14.
No one matched all six numbers needed to win the $130 million jackpot, which had a cash option of about $55.5 million. That means the big prize is still out there and has now grown to an estimated $145 million for Friday’s drawing. Players who win the jackpot can choose between the full annuity amount or a one-time cash payment estimated at $61.9 million.
The New Mexico winner was the only player to match all five white balls in the drawing. Still, several other players also walked away with solid prizes.
One ticket matched four white numbers plus the Mega Ball and included a 2x multiplier, earning $20,000. Three more players matched the same number combination with 3x multipliers, giving each of them a $30,000 prize.
It has been a fairly quiet stretch for Mega Millions since the jackpot was last won a few weeks ago. That kind of slowdown is normal after a major prize drops, but smaller wins are still showing up across the country.
In fact, two Match 5 prizes have already been awarded since the last jackpot win. The New Mexico ticket is the latest one, following another $2 million Match 5 prize sold in South Carolina.
For the New Mexico player, the close call turned into a life-changing payday anyway. Missing the Mega Ball may have meant missing the jackpot, but matching every white number — along with the multiplier — is still a pretty incredible break.
The next Mega Millions drawing will take place Friday, giving players another chance at the growing $145 million prize.
