A New York Lottery record was shattered during the April 14 Mega Millions drawing. A lucky New Yorker matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball to win $476 million.
The ticket was purchased in Ozone Park, Queens, and the winning numbers were 23-27-41-48-51 with a Mega Ball of 22. According to the New York Lottery, the odds of matching all six numbers is 1 in 302,575,350.
While the estimated jackpot clocked in at $476 million, the actual total could be higher based on actual sales.
The once-in-a-lifetime Mega Millions ticket was purchased at Liberty Beer & Convenience, located at 93-18 Liberty Ave. The store owners lucked out too, as they’ll now receive $10,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Largest Mega Millions winner in NY Lottery history
Mega Millions tickets began selling in New York in 2002, and the $476 million winner is the largest of all time. The previous record-holder was $437 million sold in 2019.
After taxes, the $476 million ticket carries a $156.7 million New York City cash value, according to the NY Lottery. It’s the 13th-largest lottery prize won in the Empire State and the 13th-biggest in Mega Millions history.
The person fortunate enough to buy the Mega Millions ticket has yet to step forward and claim their winnings. They have until April 14, 2024, exactly one year from the date of the drawing, to claim the prize or the ticket expires.
According to Mega Millions, it marks the 40th jackpot won by a New York Lottery player and the fifth top prize to exceed $300 million.
| Draw date | Jackpot | Location |
|---|---|---|
| April 14, 2023 | $476 million | Ozone Park |
| Jan. 1, 2019 | $437 million | Long Island |
| Sept. 21, 2021 | $431 million | Manhattan |
| Nov. 4, 2014 | $326 million | Wurtsboro |
| March 25, 2011 | $319 million | Albany |
Can the winner remain anonymous?
Some states allow for lottery winners to come forward and remain anonymous if they don’t want the public knowing their name. But New York isn’t one of those states.
According to the NY Lottery, winners may be required to attend and participate in press events and public announcements. The New York Lottery believes that since they’re a government agency and lottery prizes are public funds, people deserve to know the names of winners.
Because of this, the $476 million winner’s name and city of residence may be released once they claim their winning ticket. However, past winners have found ways to work around this to prevent their names from being leaked.
By creating an LLC or corporation, a NY Lottery winner can have the name of their organization released instead of their actual names. For example, a $95 million Powerball jackpot ticket was sold in New York in September 2020.
Rather than provide their name, the winner claimed the prize under ‘September 2020 LLC’. It’s easy to imagine that after having your name released as a multi-million dollar lottery winner, you’ll start getting contacted by distant friends and relatives looking for cash.
But creating an LLC appears to be a good way to claim your prize while keeping your name a secret.
