50 people win Massachusetts Lottery drawing, setting new record

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Massachusetts Lottery officials said there were 50 top prize winners in a single Mass Cash drawing, a new record for the game.

Lottery officials said the Mass Cash game, which calls on players to pick 5 numbers between 1 and 35, had 50 winners Sunday when the numbers 3-9-15-21-27 were drawn.

Christian Teja, a Massachusetts Lottery official, offered an explanation for how 50 people ended up choosing the same combination of numbers.

"Interestingly, on the bet slip that you must fill out in order to purchase a ticket, if you look at it, the numbers that all came up are in a vertical line, one on top of the other and sequentially they're all six digits apart," Teja told WCVB-TV.

Each winner will receive $48,000, the lottery said.

Teja said 50 winners is a new record for the drawing.

"Fifty is the all-time high," Teja told WHDH-TV. "We had 34 back a number of years ago and 10 to 12 from time to time, but 50 is the one to beat."