With the hype surrounding the Mega Millions $1.02 billion jackpot, you may be left looking for ways to increase your chances of winning.
The odds of hitting the winning numbers are rather slim — 1-in-303 million, according to game officials. By comparison, some estimates hold that you have a 1-in-9 million chance of being struck by lightning on two separate occasions. But several Chicago-area stores have a record of selling winning tickets.
In March, Illinois Lottery revealed the Chicago-area stores that have sold the most winning tickets in history.
According to Illinois Lottery, here are the "luckiest" retailers around Chicago:
- Lucky Mart: 2900 W. 87th St., Wrightwood neighborhood
- Mare’s Mini Mart and Deli: 7850 W. Addison St., Belmont Heights neighborhood
- Glenwood Amstar: 18659 S. Halsted St., Glenwood
- Amoco Food Shop: 1955 W. Cermak Rd., Heart of Chicago neighborhood
- BP Gas Station: 4443 S. Ashland Ave., Back of the Yards neighborhood
In Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing, a ticket belonging to an Illinois resident matched five out of six of the Mega Millions numbers and won $1 million. The ticket was sold at the JM Food Shop, at 11200 N. IL Route 47, in Huntley.
In January, a lottery player who bought a ticket in suburban Bolingbrook won the $1 million Illinois Lotto jackpot.
Local
The Bolingbrook liquor store, located at 319 Veterans Pkwy, sold the winning ticket, which matched all six Lotto Million 1 numbers: 26-29-33-41-44-50.
Just days earlier, two $1 million lottery tickets were sold within a week.
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A ticket purchased at King Supermarket, 400 E. 41st St. in Chicago, won the Lotto Million 2 jackpot drawing, according to the Illinois Lottery, with the winning ticket matching all six numbers, 3-21-26-36-45-49, to win the $1 million prize.
Another $1 million winning ticket was sold at Johnsons Lighthouse Pointe and Car Wash, 1 W. St. Charles Road in Villa Park. It matched all six Lotto Million 1 numbers, 12-13-23-39-49-50, in the Jan. 15 drawing.
The next Mega Millions drawing will be at 10 p.m. Friday, with a jackpot that has swelled over $1 billion, a benchmark that has been surpassed only three times in history.
