Mattituck store sells $3M Mega Millions ticket

A Mattituck convenience store sold a $3 million winning Mega Millions ticket for the Nov. 11 drawing that carried a $900 million jackpot, the New York Lottery announced Wednesday, Dec. 3.

The lucky second-prize winner purchased the ticket at NOFO Beer and Smoke, located at 55 Middle Road in Mattituck. It matched all five white ball numbers — 10, 13, 40, 42, and 46 — but not the Mega Ball, which was 1.

“This is the biggest prize we’ve had, at $3 million,” NOFO Beer and Smoke owner Nil Patel said. “We sell tons of tickets, so we don’t know who the person is yet.”

Mr. Patel has already hung a massive banner on his store announcing, “We sold a winner! $3 Million Mega Millions.”

The family-owned business, which opened in 2019, has previously sold winning tickets for much smaller sums, ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, Mr. Patel said.

While no one managed to win the grand prize in the Nov. 11 drawing, three players nationwide became instant millionaires.

The New York ticket is worth $3 million thanks to a 3X multiplier. Another $3 million ticket with the multiplier was sold in Iowa, while a third second-place ticket sold in Arizona is worth $5 million because of a 5X multiplier, according to the Mega Millions website.

With no jackpot winner on Nov. 11, it ballooned to $980 million for the next drawing on Nov. 14. That jackpot was won by a ticket purchased in Georgia.

Mega Millions is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The drawing takes place every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. Players select five numbers from a field of 1 to 70, plus one Mega Ball number from a separate field of 1 to 24.

The jackpot for Friday’s drawing is $50 million.