Michigan Mega Millions Players Love Friday The 13th

If you live in Michigan, right now might not be the worst time to go plunk down a fiver and buy yourself a Mega Millions ticket for Friday’s estimated $264 million drawing.

Why? Because this drawing will be taking place on — cue spooky mood music — Friday the 13th, the unluckiest day on the calendar. (And if you think we’re not providing a paragraph or two based on borderline irresponsible internet “research,” you clearly haven’t been reading us for very long. So buckle up.)

The whole superstition is actually a bad vibe combo that goes back a few thousand years. First, you have the number 13 itself, which has been giving people the creeps for centuries — thanks in no small part to Christian tradition where Judas Iscariot was the 13th guest at the Last Supper, plus Norse mythology involving Loki crashing a divine dinner party as the unlucky 13th god.

Then there’s Friday, which already had a pretty lousy reputation as the day Jesus was crucified and when medieval executions typically took place.

Put those two ancient superstitions together, and boom! You’ve got Friday the 13th. Unlucky.

So back to the top: Why should Michigan players be paying attention?

Because Mega Millions has hit seven times on a Friday the 13th, and four of those victories came in Michigan.

This Friday the 13th’s drawing, with a cash value of $117.3 million, will be the 16th since the last victor was crowned.

Obviously nobody won Tuesday — numbers 10, 11, 14, 38, 45, and a gold Mega Ball of 24 — though one Tennessee ticket-buyer hit all five white balls, along with a 4x Megaplier, and took home $4 million.

Lottery Geeks estimates 6.4 million tickets were sold for Tuesday’s drawing.

Powerball gains steam

Nobody won Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing — numbers 13, 25, 29, 37, 53, and a red Powerball of 3 — pushing Saturday night’s jackpot to $80 million.

There were no Match Five winners.

Lottery Geeks estimates 7.4 million tickets were sold for Wednesday’s drawing.

Saturday’s drawing will be the sixth since the last jackpot was hit.

Tickets for Mega Millions cost $5, while Powerball tickets cost $2, with most states offering the multiplier option for Powerball — which impacts any prize won except the jackpot — for an additional $1. Mega Millions comes with an automatic multiplier for any prize except the jackpot.

Both Powerball and Mega Millions are legal in all states except Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Tickets for both draw games are also sold in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, customers can buy tickets for Powerball, but not for Mega Millions.

All-time biggest jackpots

Here is a list of the all-time top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots:

1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $1.76 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
3. $1.6 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
4. $1.59 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
5. $1.54 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
6. $1.35 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
7. $1.34 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
8. $1.33 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
9. $1.22 billion, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, won in California
10. $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey

And here’s the all-time top 10 by lump-sum cash value:

1. $997.6 million, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022, won in California
2. $983.5 million, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016, won in California, Florida, and Tennessee
3. $877.8 million, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, won in South Carolina
4. $794.2 million, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, won in Florida
5. $780.5 million, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, won in Illinois
6. $776.6 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, won in Michigan
7. $774.1 million, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, won in California
8. $723.5 million, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, won in Maine
9. $621 million, Powerball, April 6, 2024, won in Oregon
10. $571.9 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024, won in California