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DUPAGE COUNTY - The Illinois Lottery is giving players a chance to win free Mega Millions tickets ahead of Friday night's billion-dollar jackpot drawing.
On Friday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., players can head to the Shell Food Mart located at 210 E. Ogden Ave. in Hinsdale for a chance to win the 1,200 free Mega Millions tickets.
The game is called the "Mega Millions Ticket Grab Challenge." What players will do is step inside a Ticket Grab machine, which is full of Mega Millions tickets, and they have five seconds to get ahold of as many tickets as they can.
Mega Millions Ticket Grab Challenge | Provided
For Friday night's drawing, the jackpot has ballooned to a staggering $1.25 billion. If somebody wins, it would be the fourth-largest Mega Millions jackpot and sixth-largest lottery jackpot won in US history.
In July 2022, a Mega Millions jackpot of $1.337 billion was won in Illinois.
According to the Illinois Lottery, the following retailers are the top 10 "winningest" Mega Millions stores in the state:
- Lucky Mart - 2900 W. 87th St. - Chicago
- Mares Mini Mart & Deli - 7850 W. Addison St. - Chicago
- Glenwood Amstar - 18659 S. Halsted St. - Glenwood
- Kostner Korner - 4356 W. Howard St. - Skokie
- Woodman's Food Mart - 3155 McFarland Rd. - Rockford
- Shell Food Mart - 210 E. Ogden Ave. - Hinsdale
- JD Food and Liquor - 10147 Roosevelt Rd. - Westchester
- Gas Express - 501 W. 31st St. - Chicago
- Gennaro Liquors - 5549 W. 87th St. - Oak Lawn
- Speedway - 885 E. Touhy Ave. - Des Plaines
No one has won the Mega Millions jackpot since April 18, allowing it to grow larger and larger. The $1.25 billion prize for Friday’s drawing is one of the largest in U.S. history. Tuesday night’s drawing for $1.1 billion was the 30th straight without a winner.
The lottery drought is due to a combination of poor luck and terrible odds, as the chance of winning the Mega Millions jackpot is 1 in 302.6 million. The odds of winning smaller prizes, ranging from $2 to $1 million, are significantly better.
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Mega Millions jackpot soars to $1.25 billion after no one wins top prize
The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $1.25 billion after no one beat the odds Tuesday night and won the massive lottery prize.
The new $1.25 billion jackpot is for a sole winner who chooses to collect through an annuity, with annual payments over 30 years. A sole winner who opts for a lump sum payment would receive an estimated $625.3 million.
Winners also would be subject to federal taxes, and many states also tax lottery winnings.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.