DALLAS -- Someone who purchased a Mega Millions lotto ticket at a North Texas store is $101 million richer as the state claimed its first jackpot winner in the multistate game.
One ticket sold in Carrollton matched all the winning numbers from Friday night's drawing: 8, 10, 17, 24 and 39. The Mega Ball number was 52.
"We've been eagerly waiting for this day," said Reagan Greer, Texas Lottery Commission executive director. "I hope the person or persons holding this winning ticket know what they've got."
At Sack 'n Save No. 204, five Texas Lottery Commission signs boasted, "We sold a winning Mega Millions ticket here."
Lottery officials said the store receives a $1 million bonus for selling the grand prize winner in Friday's game.
Store clerks eagerly awaited news of the new winner.
"He or she bought it out of a new self-serve lotto machine," an assistant manager told The Dallas Morning News in Sunday's editions. "That's all we know at this point."
It's the second time the Carrollton store has had a big winner. In March 1994, store clerks sold one of five winning Texas Lotto tickets for a $77 million jackpot.
In Friday's game, 19 players besides the jackpot winner matched all five numbers -- but not the Mega Ball number. Those winners, who included a Balch Springs ticket holder in suburban Dallas, will collect second-place prizes of $175,000 each.
Also, 63 players matched four numbers, plus the Mega Ball number -- good for third prizes of $5,000 each.
The grand prize winner had not contacted lottery officials as of Sunday morning.
Because Friday's Megaplier was four, that multiplies one of the 2nd-tier prizes to $700,000. The Megaplier feature is exclusive to Texas.
A total of 758,680 tickets won prizes ranging from $2 all the way up to the jackpot.
The state joined the Mega Millions multistate lottery in December and numerous lower-tier winners have claimed prizes before the grand prize was announced.
| 
