Mega Millions host calls wrong number in Tuesday's drawing; lottery pauses payouts
John Crow mistakenly called the gold Mega Ball as 6 when it was actually a 9, officials said.
NEW YORK -- Mega Millions has temporarily suspended prize payments after the host called the wrong number during Tuesday night's drawing.
Lottery officials said John Crow mistakenly called the gold Mega Ball as 6 when it was actually a 9. The jackpot was an estimated $86 million with a cash option of $49.1 million, according to Mega Millions.
Players are advised to hold on to their tickets until the issue is resolved.
"The 9 ball was drawn into the chamber and is the official result. The results of the drawing were audited by Preston CPA. The official results for the May 10, 2022, drawing ... are the white balls 15, 19, 20, 61, and 70, plus the gold Mega Ball 9. We apologize for the confusion," officials said in a statement.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, according to the game's website.
