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Mega Millions: $1.537 billion winning ticket sold in Simpsonville, South Carolina

Someone in the Palmetto State appears to have won the second-largest jackpot in American history -- and we may never know their name.
Credit: Anna B. Mitchell/The Greenville News
Suzanne Slacas, left and Terry Gist with the SC Lottery hang a banner at the KC Mart in Simpsonville, SC.

One Mega Millions ticket matching all six numbers was sold in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Mega Millions officials said the jackpot for Tuesday night's drawing was $1.537 billion, just short of the record for all lotteries.

Mega Millions confirmed the location Wednesday morning, concurring what the South Carolina state lottery website had posted hours before. The KC Mart at 303 Lee Vaughn Rd. sold the winning ticket. This is the first Mega Millions jackpot win in South Carolina.

Tuesday's winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5.

The jackpot was initially listed as $1.6 billion, what would've been the highest lottery ever. But Mega Millions officials said Wednesday the jackpot was several million dollars less. It was unclear what caused the discrepancy.

A screenshot from the South Carolina lottery website on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, showing one winning ticket sold in the U.S. record $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

The biggest jackpot in U.S. history was the $1.586 billion Powerball prize in January 2016.

“The moment we’ve been waiting for finally arrived, and we couldn’t be more excited,” read a statement from Gordon Medenica, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Group. “This is truly a historic occasion. We’re so happy for the winner, and we know the South Carolina Education Lottery can’t wait to meet the lucky ticket holder.”

While lottery officials will meet the winner -- or winners if the ticket was bought as part of a pool -- the general public may never know the identity. South Carolina allows lottery winners to remain anonymous.

Most winners opt for the cash reward, which, in this case, was $878 million, lottery officials said. That number is likely to fall even more as other taxes come into play.

The jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of California office workers won $543 million.

The updated jackpot for Friday's drawing -- which could have reached $2 billion had there been no winner -- was announced at $40 million.

Thirty-six people won $1 million, with two winning $3 million because they opted to get the Megaplier, which was 3x.

It costs $2 to play the game, but the odds of matching all six numbers and taking home the grand prize is a dismal 1 in 302.5 million.

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

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

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