History Shows Friday The 13th May Be Your Lucky Day For Mega Millions

Some may say Friday the 13th is an unlucky day, and therefore, that day would be a bad day to play the lottery.

That’s one argument.

The other argument is that Mega Millions is up to an estimated $670 million for the Friday the 13th drawing, and, as such, even the unluckiest among us has a chance to take down this life-changing sum.

And know this: Mega Millions and Friday the 13th have a long and — pun intended — rich history.

There have been seven instances when the Mega Millions jackpot was hit on Friday the 13th. The most recent — and lucrative — was won on Jan. 13, 2023, when a ticket sold in Maine cashed in for $1.35 billion, which stands as the third-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever.

And this drawing on Friday is no joke. The $670 million (with a $317.8 million cash value) would be the seventh-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever.

On Tuesday, while no won took home the top prize — numbers were 12, 14, 26, 48, and 52 with a gold Mega Ball of 21 — there were three tickets that win $1 million each by matching the five white balls. Two of those tickets were sold in California, and the other in Maryland.

But they weren’t the biggest winners on Tuesday. That honor went to one lucky winner in Florida who not only matched the five white balls, but also purchased the Megaplier, which came in at 5x. That’s a $5 million dollar haul.

Lottery Geeks estimates 18.6 million tickets were sold for Tuesday’s drawing.

Powerball begins its climb

After last Saturday night’s jackpot winner out of New York, Powerball’s jackpot started back up at $20 million Monday, and now, after two successive drawings without a winner, Saturday night’s estimated top prize is up to $45 million, with a $21.7 million cash value.

The winning numbers Wednesday night were 13 (spooky!), 44, 50, 52, and 54, with a red Powerball of 20. There were no Match 5 winners.

Lottery Geeks estimates some 6.9 million tickets were sold for Wednesday’s draw.

Tickets for either lottery cost $2, with most states offering the multiplier option for an additional $1.

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. $1.13 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024, won in New Jersey
10. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California

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. $558.1 million, Powerball, July 19, 2023, won in California