"Lot of money!" Megabucks player wins record $22.2M jackpot; store that sold ticket wins too!
MILWAUKEE -- It doesn't happen with the Megabucks drawing very often, but someone in Milwaukee is $22 million richer! Wisconsin Lottery officials say they're waiting for the winner of the drawing Saturday, May 30th to come forward. The news of a big jackpot winner is causing quite the buzz for the convenience store where the winning ticket was sold.
The Megabucks drawing happens twice a week -- on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Saturday night’s winning Megabucks numbers were 21, 22, 34, 36, 40, 43.
Kurt Beatovic comes into the A & I Services convenience store near 51st and Howard Avenue in Milwaukee every day.
A & I Services convenience store near 51st and Howard Avenue
"If you don`t play, you can`t have the possibility of winning," Beatovic said.
Beatovic hasn't won anything yet -- but he says he's thrilled to hear the convenience store sold the winning Megabucks ticket this weekend.
"I`m happy to see that someone over here won rather large," Beatovic said.
$22.2 million was the official Megabucks jackpot.
"A lot of money!" Sash Bacha, who works at the convenience store said.
Prior to this past Saturday, the most recent jackpot wins occurred in June 22, 2013 ($1.4 million), April 13, 2013 ($4.0 million) and October 3, 2012 ($6.3 million), according to Wisconsin Lottery officials.
The $22.2 million jackpot is a record.
The last time the Wisconsin Lottery saw a large jackpot winner was January 14th, 2012, when a Madison man won $14.4 million.
| Largest Megabucks Jackpots: |
| August 25, 2001 | $20.3 million |
| May 10, 1997 | $16.5 million |
| February 23, 1994 | $15.7 million |
| October 18, 2006 | $15.4 million |
| July 14, 2007 | $14.4 million |
| January 14, 2012 | $14.3 million |
"I buy tickets -- but I didn`t win," Walter Conley said.
He didn't win, but the fact that someone did has pushed Conley to buy more tickets this week.
"I just bought one now to try and win," Conley said.
A lot of others had the same idea!
As for this weekend's winner, that person has 180 days from Saturday's drawing to claim the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Madison. Once the winning ticket is validated, the winner then has up to 60 days to choose how to receive the money -- in 25 yearly installments, or a one-time lump sum of $15.7 million.
Retailers who sell winning tickets over $599 receive an incentive of 2% of the winning ticket amount up to $100,000. A & I Services, which sold the $22.2 million winning ticket will receive $100,000 for selling it.
Below are winning tickets worth more than $600 that have been purchased from A&I Services since the store began selling Lottery tickets in 2013:
| Date | Game | Amount |
| 6/10/2013 | Pick 4 | $2,500 |
| 1/27/2014 | Pick 4 | $11,600 |
| 3/4/2014 | Silver & Gold | $1,000 |
| 4/1/2014 | SuperCash! | $1,000 |
| 8/4/2014 | Animal Series | $600 |
| 8/25/2014 | Champions Club | $1,010 |
| 2/3/2015 | Badger 5 | $99,001 |
| 4/2/2015 | $1,000 Club | $1,000 |
| 5/1/2015 | SuperCash! | $1,623 |
| 5/14/2015 | $1,000 Club | $1,000 |