Mega Millions reveals winning numbers for $1.28B jackpot; Huntley store hopes to sell another winning ticket
HUNTLEY, Ill. (CBS) -- Lottery fever is real across the Chicago area with the massive Mega Millions jackpot – and a convenience store in Huntley has had lines out the door.
As CBS 2's Marissa Perlman reported Friday night, people have been coming to that one convenience store from far and wide – for one specific reason. But before we get to that, here are the winning Mega Millions numbers drawn Friday night:
67, 45, 57, 36, 13 Mega Ball 14
The jackpot is the second largest prize in Mega Millions history.
But that Mobil gas station convenience store in Huntley already had a win this week – and now, customers are coming from all over in hopes that it's a trend.
It was Tuesday when the Mobil made someone a millionaire. Since then, cashier Marianne Evans said the store has been crazy busy with ticket sales.
"They're hoping lightning strikes twice, you know," Evans said. "Whether that's true or not, we will see."
The winner who bought the ticket at the Huntley Mobil hasn't come forward. But the store's owner will get 1 percent commission on the ticket – about $10,000.
"If we wanted to give me some of that, I wouldn't not accept it," Evans said.
And now with the bot growing to $1.28 billion – that's right, billion - customers keep coming to the Mobil convenience store in hopes of cashing in.
Evans said customers have come all the way from Chicago, Milwaukee, and Rockford.
"I came here today because I know someone won the other day – so I'm trying to win too," said Sheila Andrews of Huntley.
"We have six kids, so we definitely would do a lot of good and help our kids have a good life," said Whitney Long of Harvard.
Friday's winner could take than $747 million in a lump sum option – which comes out to $523 million after taxes.
"There's always wishful and hopeful thinking," Long said.
Indeed, the odds of winning are not great – amounting to one in more than 302 million. But those betting are daring to dream.
"You don't play, you don't win," one customer said.
"I play because one day, I know I might get blessed and I might win," said Andrews. "So I just keep coming back."
And Evans – who calls all the lottery chaos exciting – is hoping she hands out a winner.
"I hope it's one of our regulars that won, you know, because our customers are terrific," she said.
According to the Associated Press, lottery officials expect the prize will grow to $1.7 billion for the next drawing Tuesday if no one wins on Friday. That would be the largest-ever Mega Millions win.
The last Mega Millions drawing was Tuesday. While no one won the grand prize, nine tickets won at least $1 million, Mega Millions said – including that ticket sold in Huntley.
Ahead of that drawing, the CEO of Raising Cane's said he bought 50,000 Mega Millions tickets, promising to share the winning with his employees if he claimed the jackpot. CEO Todd Graves said he bought more tickets ahead of Friday night's drawing.
Mega Millions' largest jackpot ever was $1.537 billion in 2018, with the winning ticket sold in South Carolina. The next biggest Mega Millions prize was $1.05 billion in 2021.
The current jackpot is also the third largest prize in U.S. lottery history, behind a Powerball drawing in 2016 that reached $1.586 billion, with winners in California, Florida, and Tennessee.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 303 million, while the odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24, according to Mega Millions.
The drawing happens twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday.