Winning $640m lottery ticket sold in Maryland

Maryland state lottery officials announced early Saturday their state sold what could become the world's largestlottery payout of all-time, but it wasn't immediately clear if that ticket holder would get sole possession of the $640m (£400m) jackpot or have to split it with other winners.

Carole Everett, director of communications for the Maryland Lottery, said the winning Mega Millions ticket was purchased at a retailer in Baltimore County. She said it's too early to know any other information about the lucky ticket-holder or whether others were sold elsewhere in the nation.

The winning numbers were 02-04-23-38-46, and the Mega Ball 23.

National lottery officials were expecting to list this morning on their website how many winning tickets were sold and from what states, but Maryland sent out its news release and called media organisations hours before the scheduled announcement. The headline of its news release said the winning sale was "one of several nationwide," but Everett told The Associated Press she couldn't immediately confirm any others.

Everett said the last time a ticket from the state won a major national jackpot was 2008 when a ticket sold for $24m.

"We're thrilled," she said. "We're due and excited."

The estimated jackpot dwarfs the previous $390m (£240m) record, which was split in 2007 by two winners who bought tickets in Georgia and New Jersey.

AP