By Barbara Heins
The holidays will be merrier and brighter for the buyers of the two winning tickets sold for the Dec. 17 drawing of the Mega Millions $636 million jackpot.
While the odds were 1 in 259 million of selecting the winning numbers of 8, 14, 17, 20, 39 and the Megaball 7, the chances of having a winning ticket are even greater for local residents. The tickets were sold in Atlanta, GA and San Jose, CA, according to lottery officials.
Twenty ticket holders will win $1 million after matching all the numbers except for the Megaball.
The jackpot winners can choose to be paid over time or in a cash lump sum, according to lottery officials. With the $636 million jackpot, the winners would receive $318 million each over time or $170 million each in cash.
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