4 Win Mega Millions Jackpot

Saturday, September 01, 2007 posted 01:58 PM EDT

The odds of winning the estimated $330 million Mega Millions jackpot were one in 176 million.

But lottery officials said early Saturday that four people - one each in Maryland, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia - did just that.

In addition to the grand prize winners from Friday night's drawing, 36 players matched all five numbers but not the Mega Ball number. They will receive second prizes of $250,000 each.

Another 215 players matched four numbers, plus the Mega Ball number - good for third prizes of $10,000 each.

The winning numbers were: 8, 18, 22, 40 and 44. The Mega Ball number was 11.

If estimates of the jackpot hold true, it would be the fourth-largest in the lottery's history. It was known as The Big Game when it awarded jackpots of $363 million in 2000 and $331 million in 2002.

A winning Mega Millions ticket was sold at Walther Liquors in Nottingham, Md., Maryland Lottery Director Buddy Roogow said.

The person who bought the ticket purchased five quick-pick tickets, costing a total of $5, Roogow said. That winner had not come forward, he said.

``You have a better chance of being hit by lightning at the same place and time every day for a week'' than winning Mega Millions, Roogow said.

It was not immediately known if winners in other states had come forward. Mega Millions tickets are also sold in California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Washington.

Players lined up at retailers Friday for a chance to win despite the long odds.

Campark Liquors general manager Karie Gandy said that ``lines have been unbelievable'' at the Woodbine, N.J., store, which sold one of the two winning tickets for the record $390 million Mega Millions jackpot in March.

``We've had people calling us from out of state wanting to send us money so we can mail them tickets,'' she said. ``Obviously we haven't because we're not allowed to do that.''

In Buffalo, N.Y., a Wilson Farms convenience store had a steady line of eight to 10 people waiting to buy tickets.

``People are buying $100 worth at a time, for themselves, for offices. They're flying,'' said cashier Ashley Woloszyn.

The 19-year-old said she'd probably keep working even if she won the jackpot.

``You need to see a shrink,'' chimed in customer Jim Dole, who bought $20 in tickets.

The mega-jackpot was paying off for Savannah retailers near Georgia's border with South Carolina, which isn't among the 12 states where Mega Millions tickets are sold.

Peggy Davis, a manager at Brown's Chevron in downtown Savannah, said the store had sold more than $1,000 in Mega Millions tickets by noon Friday.

``That's about two or three times what we'd normally sell by that time of the day,'' said Davis, who expected heavier sales once people left work.

For selling the winning ticket, Walther Liquors will receive a $25,000 commission, a lottery official said.

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