Union County woman celebrates $1 million Mega Millions win

Anna Papp of Monroe took a chance on a $2 Mega Millions ticket in Tuesday’s drawing and won a $1 million prize.

Papp bought her lucky Quick Pick ticket from the Food Lion on Idlewild Road in Indian Trail. She matched numbers on all five white balls in the drawing.

Papp became one of three players across the country to win $1 million in Tuesday’s drawing. The other $1 million winning tickets came from Iowa and California.

She claimed her prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $712,076.

Friday’s Mega Millions drawing offers a $254 million jackpot, or $133.7 million in cash. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million.

Mega Millions is one of six lottery games in North Carolina, including the newly added Pick 3 and Pick 4, where players have the option of buying their tickets at a retail location or with Online Play through the lottery’s website or with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.

The N.C. Education Lottery’s Play Smart™ program educates and empowers North Carolinians to make smart decisions when they play the lottery. March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month and the lottery highlights Play Smart to help ensure when North Carolinians play the lottery it doesn’t become more than a game. Visit nclottery.com/PlaySmart to learn how the Play Smart program helps someone create a game plan to keep lottery play fun. If you or someone you know needs support, visit morethanagame.nc.gov/ for free, confidential help.