The Mega Millions lottery is on track to reach a record-breaking $1.35 billion on Friday, January 13th. This would be the second-largest prize in lottery history, surpassed only by the $1.537 billion won in South Carolina in 2018. Since the last jackpot was won on October 14th, more than 33 million winning tickets have been sold, with 68 players taking home $1 million or more.
Six previous jackpots have been won on Friday the 13th, four of which were in Michigan. Prizes have also been won on Friday the 13th in New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island. Mona Rawal, owner of the 7-Eleven in Fort Myers, Florida where one of the two winning Mega Millions tickets was sold in October 2022, tells CNN that her store has had a few winners in recent weeks, including one who took home $50,000.
With the drawing taking place at 11 p.m. EST, many people are hoping that their luck will finally pay off and they will be the lucky winner of the second-largest lottery prize in history. The Mega Millions lottery is played in 45 states, in addition to the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. As the clock ticks down to the drawing, people all over the country are crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.