A quick grocery stop at the Publix on Vero Beach's U.S. 1 has turned into a life-altering score after a Mega Millions ticket matched all five white balls and hit the game's rare 10X multiplier. The result was a $10 million haul, essentially a $1 million second-tier prize multiplied tenfold from Friday's Mega Millions drawing.
According to the Miami Herald, the winning ticket was sold at the Publix at 5230 U.S. 1 in Vero Beach. The draw's white-ball numbers were 6, 19, 36, 40 and 55, with Mega Ball 9. Because the lucky play included the 10X multiplier, the usual $1 million payout for matching the five white balls without the Mega Ball jumped to $10 million.
How the multiplier and retailer bonus work
Mega Millions now prints a built-in multiplier on every play that can raise non-jackpot prizes by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X. Per the Florida Lottery, the multiplier is generated when the ticket prints and is applied to the prize at payout. Retailer incentive rules for Mega Millions are detailed in the state's emergency game rules, which describe the Retailer Mega Millions Bonus Commission Program and include provisions for bonuses on 5+0 tickets as outlined in the Florida Administrative Code.
Other winners and local ripple effects
Friday's drawings also produced other winners. The Miami Herald reports two jackpot tickets were sold elsewhere and several Fantasy 5 winners hit in Florida. The Herald notes Fantasy 5 winning tickets were sold at a Publix on Clint Moore Road in unincorporated Palm Beach County and at a 7-Eleven on Racetrack Road in Tampa, with each Fantasy 5 payout in this draw worth roughly $64,529. Local coverage shows such retail wins tend to draw brief attention for the stores involved (see brief attention for the stores).
If you think you hold a winning ticket, sign the back, keep it secure and have it validated at a Lottery retailer or district office. Draw-game prizes generally must be claimed within 180 days, and larger awards are processed at Florida Lottery headquarters. For step-by-step claiming instructions, required forms and drop-box locations, see the Florida Lottery Winner's Guide.
