Gabriel Fierro said he decided "on a whim" to play his fortune cookie numbers in last Tuesday's drawing — and ended up with the largest win in the history of Online Play in North Carolina. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption
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Mega Millions lottery
A patron, who did not want to give his name, uses the lottery ticket vending kiosk at a Smoker Friendly store to purchase tickets for the Mega Millions lottery drawing Friday in Cranberry Township, Pa. Keith Srakocic/AP hide caption
The KC Mart in Simpsonville, S.C., after it was announced the winning $1.5 billion Mega Millions lottery ticket was purchased there in October 2018. Jeffrey Collins/AP hide caption
One of two winning tickets in last month's $648 million Mega Millions jackpot was sold here, at Jenny's Gift Shop in San Jose. The guy who bought it didn't realize what he had for nearly two weeks. John G. Mabanglo/EPA/LANDOV hide caption
Holding a dream: Customers lined up Tuesday at a shop in Tallapoosa, Ga., to buy Mega Millions tickets. Erik S. Lesser/EPA/LANDOV hide caption
A woman picks her Mega Millions lottery numbers at a shop in New York's Penn Station on Tuesday. The Mega Millions jackpot soared to $636 million on Monday, still short of the $656 million U.S. record set in a March 2012 drawing. Richard Drew/AP hide caption
Merle and Patricia Butler (at right) accepting their ceremonial check earlier today. Illinois Lottery hide caption
A sign displays the $640 Mega Millions jackpot at Liquorland on in Covina, California. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images hide caption
'All Things Considered' on the long odds
The winners (left to right): Leon Peck, Kristin Baldwin, Mike Barth, New York Lottery's Yolanda Vega, Tracy Sussman, John Kutey, Gabrielle Mahar ad John Hilton. Mike Groll/AP hide caption