Search for the winners is on as three states claim winning numbers for the record- breaking jackpot prize of $640 million (£400 million).

Tickets sold in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland share the biggest lottery prize in the US history, in which the odds for winning were 1 out of 176 million.

The ticket holders in each of these states selected the winning numbers, making three claimants for the jackpot prize. Each winning ticket would be worth over $213 million before taxes.

The Mega Millions winning numbers on Friday's draw were 46, 23, 38, 4, 2 and Mega Ball 23.

Illinois' winning ticket was sold in a small town of Red Bud, near St. Louis and the Maryland ticket was sold in Baltimore County.

The winning ticket in Kansas was sold in northeast Kansas.

Americans have spent an estimated $1.5 billion to try their luck to claim the jackpot prize amounting to $462 million lump sum.

A total of forty two states participated in Friday's draw while other states such as Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Alaska, Hawaii, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada stayed away.