Friday the 13th proves to be a lucky day for Michigan lottery players
(CBS DETROIT) - While Friday the 13th is typically seen as an unlucky day, that doesn't appear to be the case for Michigan lottery players.
Historically, the Mega Millions game has been lucky for residents, with four people winning the jackpot on Friday the 13th, according to Michigan lottery officials.
The following jackpots were won on Friday the 13th, with the most recent win in 2017.
- June 13, 2008 – $57 million jackpot, won by a Kent City man
- May 13, 2011 – $27 million jackpot, won by a Kalamazoo man
- June 13, 2014 – $66 million jackpot, won by a Port Huron woman
- Oct. 13, 2017 – $21 million jackpot, won by a Waterford man
In total, seven Mega Millions jackpots have been won on Friday the 13th, including a $1.348 billion jackpot won in Maine in 2023.
A Mega Millions player in Texas won an $800 million jackpot this week, marking the third Mega Millions jackpot win this year.
The last time the jackpot was won in Michigan was in January 2021. A lottery club in Oakland County won a 1.05 billion jackpot, marking the largest jackpot ever won in the state of Michigan.
The Friday the 13th drawing is the first one since the Texas winner, so the prize will reset to the current starting value of $20 million.
"Michigan Lottery players have cashed in on what many consider to be the unluckiest of days - Friday the 13th - winning four Mega Millions jackpots totaling more than $170 million," said Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. "The unpredictability and random nature of Lottery games is part of what makes playing fun, and with any luck, we'll have a fifth Friday the 13th Mega Millions jackpot winner this Friday!"