The $1.6 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot in the U.S. Goes to Three Winners

The U.S. Mega Millions lottery, known as 'Powerball', reached an unprecedented amount of $1.6 billion and was shared among three lucky winners. According to the Associated Press, the identities of the three winners have not yet been revealed, but it appears they purchased their lottery tickets in Tennessee, Florida, and the suburbs of Los Angeles. The results of this lottery, which was the largest in history, were announced on Wednesday night. The odds of winning this lottery were one in 292 million. Winners can choose to receive their prize in annual payments over a long period or in several large installments over a shorter time. News about the results of this lottery has occupied all domestic media in the U.S. over the past 24 hours. According to officials from the nonprofit organization that manages this major lottery, the ticket from California was purchased at a convenience store in the small town of Chino Hills in the suburbs of Los Angeles, the Florida ticket was bought at a small grocery store in Melbourne Beach, and the Tennessee resident apparently purchased their ticket in Manford in northern Tennessee. The stores where these tickets were sold have become the center of attention for the media and residents of these towns. Large crowds gathered at these shops, and although they themselves did not win, they celebrated because the lottery had come to their small town. The crowd that gathered at the small convenience store in Chino Hills celebrated like it was New Year's Eve, shouting the name of their small town in front of news cameras. Many took selfies with the shopkeeper, and Mr. Farouqi, the shopkeeper, told local newspapers, 'I am proud that one of the winning tickets was purchased here. It’s exciting news, and I am very happy.' According to a spokesperson for the lottery department, $1 million will be awarded to each of the stores that sold the winning tickets. The estimated prize for this year's lottery was about $40 million in November, but it quickly increased since then. The Texas lottery director had stated weeks ago that this year would feature the largest prize in history. Of course, there are also large lottery prizes in other countries around the world. For example, the annual Spanish lottery known as 'El Gordo' (The Fat One), held around New Year's, had a prize of about $2.4 billion this year. However, the difference from the U.S. 'Powerball' is that this amount is divided among millions of individual and group prizes. 'Powerball' lottery tickets are sold in 44 states in the U.S., as well as Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. However, residents of six other states try to buy these lottery tickets by any means necessary, and in many cases, winning tickets have been sold in cities located near the borders of states that are not included in this lottery.