HCM CITY — American-style lottery game Mega 6/45 found a winner for the grand prize of VNĐ92.03 billion (some US$4.12 million) in its 39th draw on October 16.

The winning number combination was 05-21-31-33-38-42.

According to Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Saigon) newspaper, the winner is a woman named Nguyễn Thị Ánh Đào, 32, working as a pork seller residing in Trà Vinh City, Trà Vinh Province.

In addition to the jackpot, 17 first prizes (worth VNĐ10 million or $448.300 each), 1,178 second prizes (VNĐ300,000 or $13.4 each) and 20,388 third prizes (VNĐ3000 or some $1.3 each) were awarded to those with five, four, and three numbers matching the jackpot combination, respectively.

The winning ticketholder can come to Vietlott’s office in HCM City or Cần Thơ City to claim the prize within 60 days, after which the ticket will expire.

The new lottery game was organised by the state-run Vietnam Lottery One-member Limited Liability Company (Vietlott), under the Ministry of Finance (MoF), in collaboration with Malaysia’s Berjaya Bhd via a 18-year business cooperation contract that allowed the firm to operate computerised lottery in the country starting in January this year.

The game is open to everyone residing in Việt Nam.

Tickets for the lottery can be purchased for VNĐ10,000 (45 cents) with a six-number combination selected from a pool of whole numbers from 1 to 45.

Ticket sales revenue will accumulate into the prize until there is a winner, but the odds of winning the jackpot prize are incredibly slim, standing at just one in 8.14 million.

After the winner claims the prize, the jackpot value will scale back to the original amount of VNĐ12 billion (some $538,000).

Lottery winnings are deemed taxable income, and in accordance with MoF’s Circular 111/2013/TT-BTC, the winner will have to pay tax duty as prescribed under law.

After tax, Đào is expected to receive some VNĐ83 billion. Đào and her family haven’t figured out what to do with this enormous windfall, but at first, she and her family will hand out 400 charitable packages - each includes 25 kilograms of rice and VNĐ200,000 in cash, SGGP reported. — VNS