Historic $521 Mega Millions Jackpot Up For Grabs

BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) — Someone from Maryland could be a multi-millionaire as the Mega Millions jackpot has swelled to $521 million.

The numbers from Friday night's drawing: 59-46-28-11-31 and the Megaball is 1.

It's the nation's 10th largest lottery jackpot and the fourth time the jackpot has exceeded $500 million. No one has matched all six numbers drawn since January.

The jackpot is so large, few know how they'd react if they actually won.

"I'd probably be beside myself," one player said.

At the Canton Market in Baltimore, Mega Millions tickets were sold left and right.

With a historic $521 million on the line, you can't blame them.

[Reporter: What would you do it you actually won?]

"Take care of the family first, I guess. I would get the hell out of here, meaning probably get a nice beach home or something like that," Juan Rodriquez said. "I've been playing the same numbers for the past 25 years."

It costs $2 to play the game and a willingness to ignore the fact that you'll almost certainly lose.

Maryland lottery officials say the odds of winning are basically slim to none -- one in 302 million -- but six years ago to the day, it did happen.

Another historic jackpot was won in Maryland when three anonymous public school employees defied the odds and split several million dollars.

Maryland is one of the few states that allows winners to remain anonymous.

"$656 million, which was won right here in Maryland, so maybe our luck will hold and we'll have another winner right here," a lottery official said.

But that's still not stopping some from dreaming of that impulse purchase.

"A sports car or something, nothing too crazy," one hopeful winner said.

The $521 million figure refers to the annuity option, in which payments are made over 29 years. The cash option would pay $317 million.

"You can't win if you don't play, you have to play to win, right?" one player said.

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

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