Prize payments for an $86 million Mega Millions jackpot are suspended after a lottery host’s error
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Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN
(CNN) — We all make mistakes, but for a host of the Mega Millions lottery, it’s a potentially costly one: Prize payments for all Mega Millions tickets have been temporarily suspended after host John Crow incorrectly read the Mega Ball number during Tuesday’s lottery drawing.
The first five numbers were called correctly: 15, 19, 20, 61 and 70. But as the gold Mega Ball, was selected, the number 9 –with a line drawn under it — could be seen on the ball. Crow called it as 6, as seen in a video posted on the Mega Millions YouTube channel.
The video featured an embedded caption explaining the mishap.
“The 9 ball was drawn in the chamber and is the official result,” the caption states, adding the correct results have been audited by the accounting firm Preston CPA. “We apologize for the confusion.”
Tuesday’s estimated Mega Millions jackpot was $86 million. If no tickets match the correct six numbers, the next estimated jackpot is $99 million and the next drawing will take place on Friday.
All Mega Millions players should hold their tickets for the May 10, 2022, drawing until the issue is resolved, the New York Lottery said on its website.
CNN has reached out to the New York Lottery and Mega Millions to see how many lottery players may have been impacted by the error.